Signs of trouble
West Nova Chamber of Commerce pushing province to repair and replace damaged and missing signs
If you’re looking for signs of things needing improvement, the West Nova Chamber of Commerce in Digby County says you need to look no further than the signs themselves. The chamber is drawing attention to what it calls the poor condition of many provincial signs on secondary roads and highways.
This comes in addition to the chamber continuing to lobby for a commitment from the province to one day complete Highway 101 – which sees a lengthy unfinished portion of this highway corridor weaving through numerous residential communities between Weymouth and Marshalltown. Although speed limits are reduced to 80 and 90 kilometre/hour zones, many vehicles still travel at 100 km/h speeds or higher. There have been many single and multiple-vehicle collisions over the years.
NEED TO BE REPLACED
The chamber says many of the signs that dot the highway and secondary roads need to be replaced.
“The area is plagued by a significant issue with road signs that are not just damaged, but are actively peeling and delaminating, creating hazardous conditions for drivers,” says Dan White, chief executive officer of the chamber.
“The deterioration of these signs not only compromises their visibility, but also reflects a broader concern about the upkeep of infrastructure crucial for public safety,” he says.
The chamber recognizes sign repair work and replacement is an issue throughout the province.
In Digby County, the issue has been a topic of discussion for years.
“The problem in Digby County was so bad by 2021 that action was taken to communicate with the municipality
“Residents continue to raise concerns around safety related to the large number of missing and damaged signs.” Ronnie LeBlanc Clare MLA
to see what could be done,” the chamber says. “The municipality has been doing everything in their power to help but were told it was a province-wide problem.”
It’s not only a safety and visibility issue the chamber is concerned with. It says there are many signs that just look plain awful. With a ferry coming into Digby and the county being one of the gateways into the province, first impressions count.
“This is the main sign on the main street of Digby directing people to the Digby-Saint John Ferry. Dirty, faded, cracking... letters starting to fade out completely. How embarrassing,” the chamber posted with a photograph on its Facebook page. “The Digby-Saint John Ferry is a gem for our community, costing millions and millions to operate and we can’t even put up decent signs.”
SIGN CHALLENGES
Gary Andrea, a spokesperson for the provincial Department of Public Works, says the department recognizes that signage plays a key role in ensuring safety on the province’s roadways and in keeping communities connected.
“We also know the challenges that the elements can present,” he says. “Public Works has committed funding for maintenance with a focus on ensuring destination, regulatory and critical warning signs are well maintained.”
Andrea says regulatory and warning signage is the first priority for repair or replacement, followed by others that have fallen or are damaged.
“Highway signs that have deteriorated due to age or weather conditions are dealt with at the local level and prioritized by their maintenance teams,” he explains.
The department says sign damage can vary yearly with two factors contributing significantly to their need for repair: age and weather.
“Over time the elements cause the reflectivity of the sign to decrease and the overall message to fade. During significant wind and storm events, signs may blow over and need either substantial repairs or replacement,” says Andrea.
“The department’s signs are engineered with approved bases and structural components to withstand such events, however, failure does still occur,” he says.
Public Works has a provincial sign shop that fabricates and prints its signs, as well as signs for its municipal partners and other government agencies. The signs are often installed by local crews for the respective areas, however, private contractors can also be used, the department says.
Sign assessment and replacement is a component of all the department’s highway construction projects, says Andrea.
The West Nova Chamber of Commerce says it’s been told by Public Works that a safety audit is being done in the area this spring that should lead to improvements.
ONGOING CONCERN
Over the years, the Municipality of Digby has voiced concern about the condition of signs that fall within the responsibility of the province.
“The Municipality of Digby has been raising concerns over the condition of the signs between Digby and Weymouth with Nova Scotia Public Works since September of 2020,” says Warden Linda Gregory. “Over that time provincial staff have suggested there have been numerous challenges.”
In posts on the chamber’s Facebook page, commenters from Digby County and beyond have shared photos or stories of broken, missing, faded and damaged signs in their communities.
One resident of the neighbouring Municipality of Clare who sent photos of sign damage in her area told the chamber, “In rural N.S., these backroads are the backbone of countless villages. In my village, nearly every sign is gone or almost.”
Clare MLA Ronnie LeBlanc says signage has been an ongoing concern for himself and many of his constituents.
“Residents continue to raise concerns around safety related to the large number of missing and damaged signs,” he says. “In addition to safety concerns, the condition of our signage is clearly uninviting for tourists, especially with the World Acadian Congress coming up this year.”
LeBlanc says he and the municipality have been working closely with Public Works to address the situation.
“They have committed to replacing all of the damaged and missing signs before the congress begins,” he says, adding in a very recent conversation with Public Works he was informed the department will begin work on repairing and replacing signs in the next two weeks.
“I am pleased to see this issue being addressed and looking forward to seeing the work begin,” LeBlanc says.
The West Nova Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, is hoping for the same.