Sundre Economic Development has had installed a new visitor information sign at the Visitor Information Centre.
The new structure, which is highly visible from Highway 27, also known as Main Avenue East, came together as a collaborative effort between the Town of Sundre's department of economic development and the Town of Sundre's Downtown Area Revitalization Committee, members of which include representatives of the Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce.
The committee contributed invaluable input toward the design of the sign during the preliminary design-planning phases, said Jon Allan, economic development officer.
Ultimately, following input from the committee and the chamber, Sundre Economic Development settled on a sign that incorporated many of the suggested elements provided during meetings.
The structure includes various unique features, such as pictographic icons representing various activities available to visitors in Sundre and area. It is made partially of real wood, which is representative of the abundant natural environment surrounding Sundre, as well as the area's important forestry industry.
The sign also features a striking colour of blue, which is taken from the Town of Sundre logo, and the top of the sign has been laser cut into the peak of a mountain, representing the area's nearby mountains, also taken from the Town's logo. Put together, the sign is visually striking, evoking the Town's appeal, modern outlook on tourism and economic development, and representative of the Town's brand, he said.
The sign was designed together by Kit Walton, a Sundre native now living in Edmonton, and a product design consultancy firm based in Edmonton. Kit Design and the consultancy firm also designed the Town's impending branded way-finding signage. In collaboration with Sundre Economic Development, it was ensured that the way-finding signage and new information centre sign structure would share similar thematic elements.
The sign structure was budgeted for in 2014 and planning began early in 2015, as a separate yet related project to Sundre's new way-finding plan. The information centre's new sign structure cost just shy of $15,000 to produce and install. Sundre's new way-finding signage will begin to be installed early in 2016, said Allan.
"Tourism is booming in Sundre. The number of visitors stopping at the Visitor Information Centre in 2015 is up more than 33 per cent from 2014 numbers, a very large increase,î he said.
Tourism and destination development are major components of the Town of Sundre's proposed draft economic development strategy, called Vision 2030, which is being developed with the goal that by the year 2030, Sundre will be the top regional destination for culture, recreational activities, events and conferences, he said.
The Visitor Information Centre, which is operated by the chamber of commerce, is also partially funded by the Town of Sundre.
