Vancouver Sign to be Permanent

Looking forward to having a sign like this in this spot?

Vancouver is going to get... a Vancouver sign placed at Coal Harbour in a bid to get visitors to take selfies and post them on social media.

Earlier this week city council voted 10 to one for the giant sign that could cost a total of C$1 million to produce and install, and then around $50,000 in operating costs. The sign would be placed in between the convention centre and Canada Place... a scenic space featuring mountains and the water that already screams "Vancouver" without spelling it out.

"This is a no-brainer," said Mayor Ken Sim, in that the sign will be a vehicle in promoting the city. "It plays a huge role in making Vancouver even cooler... there will be a buzz."

Mayor Sim says the sign is a "no-brainer"

In the winter of 2023 to early 2024 there was a temporary "Vancouver" sign in that spot that was red and lit up with light bulbs and attracted a lot of attention. The sign was part of a campaign called "Liven UP Coal Harbour" and was paid for by the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association in partnership with the Vancouver Convention Centre and the Port of Vancouver.

At the time the media reported on the sign, asking people how they felt about it, with mostly positive comments, which probably led city council to think about installing a permanent one.

"People will flock to this sign for photos, for video," said Councillor Peter Meiszner. "Tourists... sharing those photos and videos on social media around the world helps promote Vancouver as well as it really being a point of civic pride for locals."

The sign will be around 13.5 metres in length, 1.8 metres high and 1 metre wide, according to the city report.

Not everyone enthused by the sign downtown

Destination Vancouver has already promised C$200,000 to the project, as has the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association.

Where did the old sign go? Was it turned into scrap already?

But not everyone is onboard with the sign.

Councillor Sean Orr said that with many Vancouver residents struggling with the cost of living, spending money on a giant sign should not be a priority, and could even be seen as excessive.

"I am just unfortunately concerned about the optics, the cost also," he said. "Some of the talk about the safety issues, as well as where it's located in front of the mountains, to me, kind of seems like Paris putting up a sign that says, 'Paris' in front of the Eiffel tower.

"It maybe cheapens the view a little bit."

Some online commenters agree, saying it's not the best way to spend taxpayer money, and would rather use the money to clean up the streets instead.

Now that could be an attraction.