When I drive down Highway 99 I can't help but start humming that song from the 1970s. You know, the one that goes "sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blocking out the scenery breaking my mind."
The hum starts peppy as I enter town from the south (after all, it is a catchy Canadian classic), but it slowly turns into a growl as my vision becomes blurred and my stomach turns queasy. I feel the need to pull over by the second grey sign near Garibaldi Estates, informing me, yet again, that I've entered Squamish's commercial area.
As if the giant Canadian Tire sign wasn't enough.
The Ministry of Transportation (MOT) has drastically cut down on commuting times and made the road easier to navigate with many safety features. But it has created a monster in the process. We're being overrun by signage that has no real direction.
It's not that signage is a bad thing when done properly. For years, in fact, residents complained that there wasn't sufficient signage around town. But communication between MOT and the District of Squamish (DOS) has been so obviously nonexistent during the tail end of highway construction that we now have the equivalent of "HELLO my name is:" stickers lining the road for visitors.
The generic commercial area signs alerting drivers of downtown and Garibaldi Estates are some of the worst, and council members agree. Story goes, the sign structures were a part of the original highway plan but MOT never bothered to enquire into what should be posted on the signs.
The result is horizontal, boring grey signs stating the obvious in block letters. McDonald's golden arches perform a nobler duty. People may pass through Squamish more than we'd like, but it's not because they don't know we are civilized enough to trade goods for cash. It's because they are headed to Whistler or Vancouver.
If only there were warning signs of this MOT/DOS communication breakdown so we could have done something before it was too late!
But wait weren't we alerted of this problem back in July in the form of a massive faux rock gateway sign between Squamish and Britannia Beach? MOT chose an apparently unsatisfying location for the sign and had district staff and council members debating on whether to spend funds to move it.
The issue, however, had others pleading for a quick end to the whole cultural journey.
Perhaps, like our local businesses, most of what Squamish has to offer should stand on its own without all the distractions. At least the landmarks that can already be seen from the highway don't need signage. After all, what better gateway rock is there than the Stawamus Chief in conveying the spirit of Squamish?
But wait, soon the Chief will even have a sign, and a much flashier one at that. A new cultural journey begins.
