The restored neon signs were installed on the Telus building in -28 C weather.
Future additions
The other four of the city’s 12 collected neon signs are to be installed this year, while three more from outside donors are now in various stages of restoration.
“We’re getting donations and offers from all over,” says Pedrick. “We will acquire more that have a strong connection to the city or the province.”
One issue going forward, however, will be the cost of restoring these additional signs.
“All of the signs now on the wall were restored at no cost to the city, other than a bursary grant of $1,000 per sign, which didn’t come close to covering the restoration work,” says Pedrick. “As more signs become available, there is not as great an appetite to do all of this work for free, so Linda Wedman is out trying to raise more funds.”
In the meantime, the museum is already being updated with plaques. Installed along the wall at eye level, these exterior interpretive panels will share the unique story behind each sign with an increasing number of passersby.
“The location couldn’t have been better in terms of exposure,” says Pedrick. “The museum is right across from the Mercer Tavern, one of the city’s oldest buildings, which features its own new neon sign, built by Newlook in 2014. Condos are going up in old warehouses and this area gets a lot of foot traffic now by day and night. The museum has been well-received. People are always looking at the signs and taking photos.”
In addition to celebrating the past, the museum and the Mercer Tavern may even lead to a neon renaissance for Edmonton.
“Cantilevered signs of this type aren’t normally allowed under the existing bylaw, but now there’s a special permit zone here to encourage new neon signs along the street,” says Pedrick. “The city wants to promote the artistry of signage, which is great because we tend to beat ourselves up in this industry. We need to take greater pride in our work at a grander scale. Projects like the museum help as building blocks in this respect.”
