Photo ready: City votes to install giant $1M Vancouver sign along waterfront
Council approves funding for sign 14 metres long, 2 metres tall in Coal Harbour
A giant Vancouver sign will be coming back to the city's waterfront after a smaller temporary version was a big hit in 2023 among tourists and residents, even though the new, permanent one could cost up to $1 million.
On Wednesday, city council voted 10 to one to approve the city's portion of the cost — up to $300,000 in capital costs and $50,000 in operating costs.
It will now push forward with feasibility and design work to have the sign — akin to ones in Toronto and Ottawa — installed along the Coal Harbour waterfront between the convention centre and Canada Place.
"This is a no-brainer," said Mayor Ken Sim about the idea, arguing a giant sign for Vancouver is de rigueur in an age of place-making photo taking for social media and promotion of the city.
"It plays a huge role in making Vancouver even cooler … there will be a buzz."
In the winter of 2023 and 2024, a temporary sign with red letters and light bulbs was installed as part of a campaign called Liven UP Coal Harbour and paid for by the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association in partnership with the Vancouver Convention Centre and the Port of Vancouver, according to a report from city staff.
It caught the eye of city councillors who asked staff to investigate a more permanent sign that would be bigger, could light up in different ways or even be wrapped in art.
Up to $1 million price tag
The staff report said the project could cost up to $1 million total, with up to $350,000 for the sign itself, and the rest for site preparation, a base, electrical connections, involving the local nations of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh and then annual maintenance.
The size is estimated to be 13.5 metres in width, 1.8 metres high and one metre deep, according to the report.
Destination Vancouver has already committed to $200,000 for the project, as has the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association.
"People will flock to this sign for photos, for video," said Coun. 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."
Councillors amended the original motion to instruct staff to further explore funding partnerships or donations for the project to further drive down costs.
'Cheapens the view?'
Along with its costs, there were also questions about how the sign could possibly obscure the view of the ocean and the framing mountains at the site.
Coun. Sean Orr said that at a time when many Vancouver residents were struggling with the cost of living, spending money on a giant sign should not be a priority and could be even viewed as superfluous.
"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."
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung told staff she wanted to ensure that the sign in its proposed location would be able to accommodate crowds and not result in people being pushed back into the roadway and potential danger, citing a 2017 incident when a tourist was killed and his relatives injured after being struck by a tour bus in the area.
"I'm going to trust in the process, but I have very clear expectations with staff doing their due diligence with respect to safety, and I feel that that was heard loud and clear," she said.
If everything goes to plan, city staff said the sign could be up by as early as next spring before a crush of tourists is expected to attend games in Vancouver for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which starts in June.
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