Northern circle route signage master plan

The Northern B.C. Tourism Association (NBCTA) along with AldrichPears Associates Ltd. are in the early stages of a project to implement a new signage infrastructure in the Northern Circle Route. The goal of the project is to increase tourism in the area, improve visitor experience, and build stronger brands for local communities.

The project will include gateway signs, route markers, banners, custom directional signs and roadside interpretive signs. According to NBCTA CEO Clint Fraser, the project has $1 million in government funding. It isn’t clear at this time how much the project will cost the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), as long term maintenance fees have yet to be decided.

According to AldrichPears Exhibit Designer John deWolf, “The plan is adaptable for each community and will require coordination with municipalities like Houston and Burns Lake that have other signage projects underway. Through ongoing coordination with these groups, we will endeavor to ensure that this project can help inform and fill the gaps in their programs,” he told RDBN board members.

The project is currently in phase two of a five-phase plan, where strategies are being developed by speaking to individuals in municipalities about bylaw, maintenance, policy, and what each area’s specific signage needs are. Phase three will be concept design which is scheduled to begin in the late fall or early winter of 2021. The implementation of the plan is scheduled for the winter or spring of 2022.