By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—Haldimand Council got their first look at the County’s new Comprehensive Signage Strategy, a multi-year plan that seeks to eventually replace all County-owned signage.
The strategy was approved by Council in 2019 as a new initiative in the capital budget. Since then, County staff have worked with pl.ural, an external consultant, to develop new signage that relays consistent messaging with countywide quality standards, as well as a multi-year implementation strategy.
“Signage is important because it is an economic driver; it improves customer service standards for both residents and visitors,” said Senior Economic Development Officer Allison Earls during a presentation last week.
Estimated costs for the program total $666,800. Staff have recommended a multi-year rollout of between five to 10 years, to be considered when staff prepare the 2024 capital budget.
Earls noted that signage is often a visitor’s first impression of a community. It can offer key information to residents and visitors, can help enable effective navigation and encourage exploration, and can provide an opportunity to enhance a community’s sense of pride and identity.
The strategy reviews existing signage in the county, including but not limited to:
- Agriculture and tourism direction signage
- Entrance signage
- Waterfront trail wayfinding signage
- Grand River scenic parkway signage
- Cycling routes and cycling amenity signage
- Facility signage
- Heritage and tourist information signage
Design-wise, new signage will fall under three categories:
- Identification signs that inform users they are entering a new place or have arrived at their destination
- Directional signs that inform users of approaching destinations
- Support signs that support economic development, tourism, or other County initiatives.
“On many of the (new) signs you’ll find a translucent wave silhouette, which provides a subtle visual connection to the Haldimand County logo and supports the branding. We’ve also taken the opportunity to create both blue and green signs as our main sign colours, with green being used for outdoor amenities, such as parks, trails, and playing fields, and blue signs for downtown amenities and heritage locations,” said Earls.
Except for the new gateway signs that are placed at the entrance of the county, Haldimand’s logo will not be included on new signs. According to Earls, this measure will help to “ensure longevity.”
The strategy calls for larger signs in centres such as Hagersville and Caledonia, with smaller signs used in hamlets such as Nanticoke of Canborough. It will also incorporate ‘pay-to-play’ signage, which will allow private businesses to be included in signage for a fee.
The strategy will also implement new information kiosks and storyboards that offer customization based on the needs of the group utilizing them, with different formats available.
“Given the magnitude of this signage replacement and the associated costs, full implementation in the short term will be challenging. As such, staff are recommending a more realistic and focused implementation plan,” said Earls.
The cost breakdown for the project is as follows:
- Gateway signage–24 signs, including $85,000 for vehicular signs, $750 for waterway signs, and $3,000 for active signs.
- Wayfinding Signs–137 signs, totalling $449,500, covering high priority centres such as Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, Hagersville, and Jarvis.
- Cycling Route Signs–80 signs, totalling $60,000.
- Tourism and Agricultural Direction Signage—number of signs to be determined, costs to be recovered through user fees.
“These sign types were selected because staff believe they would have the largest impact in terms of creating economic spend within the region and generate awareness of both public and private attractions,” explained Earls.
Ward 6 Councillor Patrick O’Neill inquired about including QR codes on signage in downtown cores, allowing users to access more targeted information online from the signage.
“On the proposed tourism information kiosks, as well as the information kiosks in the downtown, we would have QR codes on these signs so when a traveller to the area came to these signs, they could use their phones to redirect them to our tourism website,” said Earls.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley asked Earls about the heavy focus on cycling signage in the strategy.
Earls explained, “We have done additional studies with our regional tourism organization, Ontario Southwest…. One of the key visitor uses is cycling. Through the research they’ve conducted, they’ve concluded that cyclists, when they come to the area, traditionally spend more than some of the other visitor segments on retail accommodations and restaurants. That’s one of the reasons we target them as part of this strategy, as well as through some of our tourism offerings, so we can encourage them to do that additional exploration of our downtowns.”
Council voted unanimously in favour of adopting the strategy. It was due to be ratified at a Council meeting on Wednesday, January 25 after publication.
