Our readers’ submissions arrived from across the country, our judges reviewed scores of eligible entries and their scores were tallied. Now, Sign Media Canada proudly showcases the winners of the ninth annual National Sign Competition.

The 2015 competition attracted many projects of very high calibre, representing the best of the best from all corners of the Canadian sign industry. With final scores proving close in many categories, all of the entrants deserve congratulations for the superb quality of their work. So, once again, we are including the runners-up in this special showcase.

The judges had to consider each entry’s merits in terms of originality, creativity, appearance and design suitability. Together, they selected winners in nine categories, with the entry earning the highest overall score also honoured as best in show. That top award’s winner will receive a free trip to the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association’s (SGIA’s) Expo in Atlanta, Ga., this November.

So, without further ado, here are this year’s winners and runners-up!

Building Signs

WINNER
Manufacturer: Twilight Signs & Neon
Submitter: Rachel Teare, Bolton, Ont.
Client: Tangerine
Location: Toronto
Materials/Methods: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and aluminum composite material.

RUNNER-UP
Designer/Manufacturer: Electra Sign
Submitter: Brett Aho, Winnipeg
Client: Mere Hotel
Location: Winnipeg
Materials/Methods: Aluminum, steel, acrylic, light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Digital Signage

WINNER
Designer: 10net Managed Solutions
Manufacturer: GWS and 10net Managed Solutions
Submitter: Nancy Biglow, Toronto
Client: BlueShore Financial
Location: North Vancouver
Materials/Methods: North America’s first permanent installation of a transparent light-emitting diode (LED) video display is located in the atrium of a financial institution in North Vancouver. Three 136-kg (300-lb) panels were installed between wood columns spanning a distance of more than 6 x 2.9 m (20 x 9.5 ft), with more than 1.5 million LEDs. Twelve 0.8-m (32-in.) monitors are layered in a cascading mosaic. All content is driven by the Scala Enterprise content management system.

RUNNER-UP
Designer: Eugene Gutierrez
Manufacturer: LG Screens
Submitter: Dave Marsden, Toronto
Client: Tim Hortons
Location: Hamilton
Materials/Methods: Four 1.2-m (47-in.) touch screens.

Illuminated Signs

WINNER
Designer: Robyn Gibson, HFTC
Manufacturer/Submitter: Signex, Winnipeg
Client/Location: City of Winnipeg
Materials/Methods: Aluminum lantern-style sign with orange acrylic and light-emitting diode (LED) illumination to resemble bookshelves.

RUNNER-UP
Manufacturer: Twilight Signs & Neon
Submitter: Rachel Teare, Bolton, Ont.
Client: Tangerine
Location: Toronto
Materials/Methods: Light-emitting diode (LED) illumination, aluminum, vinyl.

Out-of-home Advertising

WINNER
Designer: Michel Dallaire
Manufacturer: Astral Out-of-Home
Submitter: Gabriel Landry, Montreal
Client: Quartier des Spectacles
Location: Montreal
Materials/Methods: Fourteeen advertising structures, eight of which are digital, equipped with liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, plus Quick Response (QR) code and near field communication (NFC) technologies.

RUNNER-UP
Designer: Chris Rice
Manufacturer: SignCraft Digital
Submitter: Meaghan Ralston, Calgary
Client: Molson Coors
Location: Calgary
Materials/Methods: Permanent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, second-surface printed on (10 x 25-ft) rolls with two layers of white ink behind colour, was applied directly to concrete with mastic adhesive to cover the entire Molson Hockey House Sports Lounge interior and the balcony overseeing the rink. Matte-laminated wall murals were applied to drywall, covering almost all of the lounge’s walls.

Sign Systems

WINNER
Designer/Submitter: Dan Sawatzky, Yarrow, B.C.
Manufacturer: Sawatzky’s Imagination Corporation
Client: Cultus Lake Adventure Park
Location: Cultus Lake, B.C.
Materials/Methods: Bulk of project was created using hand-sculpted fibreglass-reinforced concrete over welded steel framing. Sign faces were computer numerical control (CNC) routed onto 13.6-kg (30-lb) high-density urethane (HDU) board. All paints were acrylic.

RUNNER-UP
Designer: Directional Designs
Manufacturer: TDH Signs
Submitter: Reg Littlefield, Mississauga, Ont.
Client: Georgetown Market Place
Location: Georgetown, Ont.
Materials/Methods: Aluminum, acrylic, glass, brushed aluminum.

Soft Signage

WINNER
Designer: SignCraft Digital
Manufacturer: McRae Imaging
Submitter: Paul Redich, Calgary
Client: NWT Tourism
Location: Ottawa
Materials/Methods: Printed fabric over a tubular frame, backlit with programmed light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

RUNNER-UP
Designer/Submitter: Dan Speers, Brantford, Ont.
Manufacturer: Mobile Airships & Blimps
Client: Spot On Entertainment
Location: Winnipeg
Materials/Methods: Polyurethane (PU) blimp body painted with plastic ink, using computer-cut vinyl stencils.

Stand-alone Signs

WINNER
Manufacturer: Twilight Signs & Neon
Submitter: Rachel Teare, Bolton, Ont.
Client: Premium Outlets Montreal
Location: Mirabel, Que.
Materials/Methods: Aluminum, acrylic, stone veneer, wall-wash lighting and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

RUNNER-UP
Designer/Submitter: Dan Sawatzky, Yarrow, B.C.
Manufacturer: Sawatzky’s Imagination Corporation
Client: Pedal Power By the Hour
Location: Cultus Lake, B.C.
Materials/Methods: The sign was routed from 13.6-kg (30-lb) high-density urethane (HDU) board. The figure on top was hand-shaped using sculpting epoxy. The post was sculpted with fibreglass-reinforced concrete over a welded steel frame. All paints were hand-brushed acrylics.

Vehicle Graphics

WINNER
Designer/Manufacturer: Speedpro London
Submitter: Chris Vlemmix, London, Ont.
Client: The Walking Fed
Location: London, Ont.
Materials/Methods: Graphic film.

RUNNER-UP
Manufacturer: SignCraft Digital
Submitter: Meaghan Ralston, Calgary
Client: GMC and Autographics
Location: Calgary
Materials/Methods: Chrome wrapping film. These trucks were used for the 2014 Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.

Unique Signs

WINNER AND BEST IN SHOW
Designer: MMC
Manufacturer: Eventscape
Submitter: Elaine Allen-Milne, Toronto
Client: Harry Rosen
Location: Toronto
Materials/Methods: Aluminum, digitally printed textiles. Eventscape engineered, fabricated and installed a 4.9 x 10.7-m (16 x 35-ft) lenticular-styled metal element for the store, with a simulated shadow of Harry Rosen applied to the front and sides of the fins, behind which is a digitally printed graphic of the store’s logo.

RUNNER-UP
Designer/Submitter: Dan Sawatzky, Yarrow, B.C.
Manufacturer: Sawatzky’s Imagination Corporation
Client: Cultus Lake Adventure Park
Location: Cultus Lake, B.C.
Materials/Methods: Hand-sculpted fibreglass-reinforced concrete over a welded steel frame. Created for photo opportunities, it encourages guests to take pictures and share them through social media.

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National Sign Competition 2015 Winners