Red Deer is making it easier to walk down memory lane with heritage interpretative signs planted in front of 62 buildings and sites.
In the 1980s, about 30 signs were posted at significant sites. Those sites now have new signs.
Out of the 62 signs, 24 were installed in April or May.
“We have another 10 to finish off this year,” said Janet Pennington, the city’s heritage community development co-ordinator.
“Any site that is a designated municipal or provincial historic resource has a sign. We’ve also been putting them on some of the other buildings and sites listed in our Land Use Bylaw. And all the sites we’re including in our new series of heritage tours that we launched in June — every one of those has a sign.”
Signs are either attached to the building or a post nearby and cost about $1,000 to fabricate and install.
Some of the sites that have never had signs before this year include Capital Theatre at 4924 Ross St., Club Cafe at 5019 50th St., the former Gaetz Manufacturing Co. at 4840 51st St., the former Eaton’s store at 4807 Gaetz Ave., Horsley Block at 4952 Ross St., and the former Peacock Inn at 5018 Ross St.
“All of these have some really interesting stories behind them.” Pennington said the sign at Peacock Inn says Colonel Sanders visited the building to see if the owners wanted to turn it into a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise.
“We don’t cram it full of details because people don’t need it. We just try to come up with the tidbits.”
For each site, a web page will be developed with more information about the site or the owners and archival photos. When the pages are completed, a code will be added to the sign for people with smartphones to access the page while they visit the site.
Pennington plans to invite people to send in interesting stories about the sites and she welcomes suggestions for more sites.
A list of the sites with heritage interpretative signs will eventually be available at www.reddeer.ca/heritage.
Pennington said the signs promote cultural tourism and a sense of community for people who are new to Red Deer.
“This is a great way for them to explore the community and also to see what went on before they got here.
“It gives a sense of who the pioneers were and over time, as we’ve had waves of immigrants, the contributions that they’ve made. I think it really creates that sense of identity and sense of belonging and hopefully it gets some people interested in their heritage.”
To contact Pennington, call 403-309-6270.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com