Lee Murphy.
We at Sign Media Canada are delighted to introduce an exciting new series for our newsletter and website readers to spotlight the professionals behind the signs. Welcome to ‘Meet the Makers,’ where we take a playful, engaging approach to showcasing the personalities and expertise of sign pros, all while staying rooted in the industry.
For our first Meet the Makers spotlight, we spoke to Access Signs’ director of business development, Lee Murphy, a resident of Montreal, Que. With 18 years in the signage industry, Murphy serves as president of the AQIE provincial board and is on the national board of the Sign Association of Canada (SAC). He joined the ISA Elite program in 2019 for young industry leaders and maintains connections across the U.S. and Canada. In September 2024, he was awarded the annual Volunteer of the Year award by SAC.
Awards and accomplishments notwithstanding, Murphy also lives and breathes signs. Here are his responses to our five offbeat questions.
What’s your sign superpower?
I respect all my industry colleagues, and while we are all strong in our own ways, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone blend signage into a personal brand. It feels like it’s taken a lifetime, but now, when people think of signs, I always seem to cross someone’s mind, which is humbling and means it’s working! Historically, people have been reluctant to share their work online, but the amount of credibility and visibility it’s brought me is priceless.
What’s the most challenging project you’ve worked on?
The most challenging project was for a residential tower in downtown Montreal, Que. We completed the Montreal Canadiens’ logo 54 stories up at the peak of the building, and we also completed an architectural glass fire element with etched skate marks that served as an evening firepit, along with contemporary, lit hockey player sculptures in the building’s courtyard. The building is in front of our province’s National Hockey League (NHL) arena, so people would climb on the figures after our hockey team’s wins (or loses). Countless hours of engineering went into this project. The planning and logistics of running power under the ground pavers, anchoring, material selection, forecasting serviceability, and so on. What often seems simple is far from it.
The residential tower.
What’s your favourite piece of signage that you’ve created?
I have a soft spot for this one: Lucille’s restaurant in Laval, Que. It’s faux neon in an open-faced channel outdoors, and the restaurant was the first ever to do it. I’d known the client for years, and when I suggested he do something completely out of the norm, he agreed without hesitation. That trust and creative liberty are what I’ll always remember. I love the sign, but I unapologetically love the client more! They also gave me the green light to replicate a cartoon they have on their food truck of a massive pig chasing a lobster with a chef cleaver, so they, without question, have the quirkiest façade in the city.
Lucille’s restaurant in Laval.
If signage could talk, what’s the funniest thing a sign has ever ‘said’ to you?
I was recently entrusted with restoring several historical signs for a new museum opening in the city (Montreal) that highlights its heritage. One of the signs was of our famous male burlesque club that would have lines forming around the block for years. I went to meet the owner who was donating the signs, and we ended up downstairs in the basement of the establishment. There, in an open, empty, dirt-floor basement room, there were only two things: a blow-up pool unicorn and a coffin. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. She coyly said, “I don’t come down here often,” and smiled. The things you see in the sign business…
What’s the one piece of signage advice you wish everyone knew?
Show yourself some grace. Despite signage being a long, drawn-out process from cradle to grave, it feels like every day is pure chaos—truck down, paint dripped, shipment delayed. I can count on my hands the number of smooth days I’ve had in the last 18 years. I take client satisfaction extremely seriously, but as I age, I’ve learned to slow down a bit. Ensure you maintain that quality time for your family, children, relationships, and, ultimately, yourself. You don’t get that time back.
Lastly, at any sign event, it will always be the older sign professionals who outlast everyone at cocktail hour. It’s like a sport to them!
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