Is Burnaby cool enough to get its own giant landmark sign?
While Burnaby is often known as a quiet Metro Vancouver suburb, the city may be ready to take its branding to the next level in the form of a giant landmark sign.
The sign was proposed by Councillor James Wang. In his report proposing a motion to city council, Wang noted that large landmark signs that feature city names “foster civic identity, support tourism, and provide ideas for photo-taking that contribute to place branding.”
“For example, the City of Nanaimo installed its city sign in Maffeo Sutton Park, a central location that integrates with the park’s amenities and waterfront setting. This placement serves as a visual landmark while complementing the park’s role as a recreational and social space, supporting its connection to both the community and visitors,” reads the report.
City of Nanaimo | Scarborough Arts
It also pointed to other Canadian cities, such as Vancouver, Hamilton, and Toronto, that have temporarily or permanently erected these landmark signs.
Vancouver reinstated its giant temporary sign along the Coal Harbour seawall in October. Daily Hive Urbanized previously wrote a piece about why the sign should become a permanent fixture.
The temporary wintertime Vancouver Sign is back at a new location.
Right on the Coal Harbour seawall, just west of Cactus Club and east of Coal Harbour Park next to the seaplane terminal. pic.twitter.com/GqpuveAGqP
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) October 29, 2024
During Monday’s meeting, council discussed the possibility of a Burnaby sign, with several councillors expressing their support for it.
“I think it’s a very interesting idea and proposal, and I think it could potentially do a lot with respect to crystalizing or cementing, strengthening our city’s identity. Especially since so many of us come from so many different cultures,” said Councillor Maita Santiago. She also asked if the sign could be easy to transport, so it could be moved to different places in the city for events and festivals.
Councillor Sav Dhaliwal noted that Burnaby doesn’t just need a landmark sign but also needs to improve its signage at the city’s main entrances.
“Current signs are tired… If you go to some of them, they don’t light up anymore because I think they’ve been there for a while. So this is about actually looking hopefully in addition to a landmark sign, to see how we do brand Burnaby.”
City staff will further study the placement and costs for the sign and present a report back to council with their findings.
Do you think Burnaby should get a landmark sign, and if so, where should it go? Let us know in the comments.