The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN
EDITORIAL - March 27, 2007
This is the time of year when most communities start to plan to promote their annual fairs, festivals and events.
It's also the time of year when the side of the highway slowly turns into a collection of various signs related to these events.
Town Council talked about the many changes they plan to make to improve our community in the coming months. One of the changes we'd like to see is a standardized design for all the signs that show up on the highway.
We actually proposed a suggestion to Town Council back in 1987 or 1988 for a single, large lighted sign that stood ten or twelve feet high that had space for at least a half dozen events to be displayed in chronological order stating only the name of the event, location and date/time. The two-sided sign/billboard would be located in such a manner on the highway that the information contained on it could be read easily from both directions.
We proposed our original idea for promoting just events at the Princeton Fairgrounds and that it would have been located on Highway 5A at what is now known as Laurie Currie Way.
We think there is still a need for such a billboard and that there should be one at each entrance to Princeton. It would no only eliminate the existing sign pollution of various sizes, shapes and colours, but it would also present a professional look to visitors trying to find out what goes on around here.
Think of it, year round we could promote everything from Racing Days and the Rodeo to the next couple of Posse home games changing the sign(s) information frequently to show that there really is a lot of things going on in our town.
What made us think about this was a recent trip into the Central Okanagan. The 'Westside' stretch of Highway 97 continues to be a mass of blinking lights, brightly-coloured signs and sign boards of all description trying to grab your attention as you zip by at cruising speed.
Good thing the police have blinding bright flashing lights or we may never have seen them - but that's another story!
While driving through the Okanagan we looked at the signage with the eyes of a tourist and found it so very difficult to locate turnoffs with all the distraction of all the other signs.
Imagine what visitors to our area experience when driving along Highway 3 for the first time of the year and they see outdated signs and blown over signs (some in Keremeos - from the wind!).
We think Town Council should explore the idea a little further and create a unique billboard not only promoting Princeton, but the many events that take place here.
We'll even dust off our plans from 1987 or 1988 and share them, if they are interested.
