Drivers in Lake Cowichan may have noticed a subtle change creeping onto the town’s main drag since Christmas.
The town has begun installing new street signs along Lake Cowichan Road and South Shore Road as part of an ongoing improved wayfinding initiative which started last year. The new street signs are black with white letters, and match the large directional signs by the South Shore Road bridge and Saywell Park.
“They’re going to be right through from one end of town,” said Ross Fitzgerald, chairman of the town’s advisory planning commission. Approximately 30 signs have been purchased and will be installed over the coming weeks and months when the public works department has time.
“[Signs in] other parts of the town will probably be replaced in the future, but our intent was for visitors who come through town to see something that’s consistent, and the black sign with the silver or white letters is…a new appearance for the town,” said Fitzgerald.
“You’ll know you’re in Lake Cowichan because you’ll see those colours consistently throughout the town.”
He said the changes are part of Lake Cowichan’s overall transition from a resource town to one that is centered around recreation and the environment.
The bulk of the funding for the new signs came from ICBC, although the town pays for their installation. The signs were just one component of an application the town made to ICBC last spring, which also included money to paint crosswalks and install the speed reader board on the east end of town.
“They [ICBC] have been very nice to us,” said Joseph Fernandez, chief administrative officer for the town.
Fernandez noted that in addition to fitting with the town’s new wayfinding design, the street signs will be a little more user-friendly for seniors.
“They’re reflective signs so they’re a little more visible,” he said, adding that although the letters are no bigger they do stand out more.
“We looked at slightly bigger font size … but that would have made the street signs too long. At least in some instances. So we had to make it standard.”
According to Fernandez, four signs have been installed since Christmas.
He said that the town has submitted another funding request to ICBC for 2016 to address “some sidewalk issues” and to pay for new stop signs.
