City of Toronto Boundary Identification Signs

The Works Committee:

(1)again recommends the adoption of the report dated June 17, 1999, from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, embodied in Clause No. 2 of Report No. 2 of The Works Committee, entitled "City of Toronto Boundary Identification Signs", subject to amending the perimeter and traffic regulation signs to include only the wordmark "Toronto" without the logo;

(2)further recommends the adoption of the motion by Councillor Johnston, embodied in the communication dated August 6, 1999, from the City Clerk, subject to the following conditions:

(i)that the signs never be sold; and

(ii)that the proposed boundary identification signs indicate "Toronto: Ontario's Capital"; and

(3)further recommends that the Community Councils be requested for responses to the Works Committee on ways in which identification of neighbourhoods can be identified with signage.

The Works Committee submits the following communication (August 6, 1999) from the City Clerk:

City Council, at its meeting on July 27, 28, 29 and 30, 1999, had before it, the attached Clause No. 5 contained in Report No. 2 of The Works Committee, headed "City of Toronto Boundary Identification Signs".

Council directed that the aforementioned Clause, together with the following motions, be struck out and referred back to the Works Committee for further consideration:

Moved by Councillor Johnston:

"That:

(1)the existing boundary identification signs be preserved for disposal by the Community Councils and Heritage Toronto, as they determine; and

(2)the proposed boundary identification signs include the indication that Toronto is the Capital City of Ontario."

Moved by Councillor Moscoe:

"That the motion by Councillor Johnston be amended by adding the following new Part (3):

(3)City Policy prohibit the attachment of advertising material, in any form, to the boundary identification signs.'"

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(Clause No. 5 of Report No. 2 of The Works Committee, entitled

"City of Toronto Boundary Identification Signs")

(City Council on July 27, 28, 29 and 30, 1999, together with the following motions, struck out and referred this Clause back to the Works Committee for further consideration:

Moved by Councillor Johnston:

"That:

(1)the existing boundary identification signs be preserved for disposal by the Community Councils and Heritage Toronto, as they determine; and

(2)the proposed boundary identification signs include the indication that Toronto is the Capital City of Ontario."

Moved by Councillor Moscoe:

"That the motion by Councillor Johnston be amended by adding the following new Part (3):

'(3)City policy prohibit the attachment of advertising material, in any form, to the boundary identification signs.' ")

The Works Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (June 17, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, subject to amending the perimeter and traffic regulation signs to include only the wordmark "Toronto" without the logo:

Purpose:

To propose the installation of road signs which identify the City of Toronto.

Funding Sources:

The estimated cost to manufacture and install identification signs for the City of Toronto is $68,000.00, which is included in the Division's 1999 Current Budget estimates.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that during 1999:

(1)new City of Toronto identity signs described in this report be installed at major road boundary locations identified in Appendix 1;

(2)the existing signs identifying the previous local municipalities, at old boundary locations now within the amalgamated city, be removed;

(3)the general traffic regulation signs be amended to identify the City of Toronto; and

(4)the directional signs providing guidance to the Civic Centres be replaced with new legend signs.

Background:

There are a variety of signs in and around the City of Toronto which identify municipal boundaries, traffic regulations and Civic Centres which make reference to the previous municipal names. A signage program is required to update and replace these signs to identify the amalgamated City of Toronto.

Discussion:

During 1998, a new City of Toronto logo was designed and approved. Utilizing the new logo where appropriate, new designs were generated for the various city identity signs which would appear at a variety of locations, primarily at the perimeter of the City. While developing the sign designs, Transportation Services staff liaised with Corporate Services staff who were instrumental in completing the new City logo project.

Following is a list of the existing road signs which were reviewed in the context of new City identity signage:

(1)signs identifying the boundaries of the previous local municipalities;

(2)general traffic regulation signs at perimeter and freeway exit locations; and

(3)guide signs to the Civic Centres.

Staff are recommending a signage program which places a new City of Toronto identity sign at major vehicular entry points into the City on City roadways. Because there are a variety of road characteristics to be signed, some providing limited space for sign installation, two basic sign designs are required as illustrated on the white on black attachments. The actual signs will be white on blue, using the shade of blue which has been approved with the corporate logo.

There are 45 locations to be signed (listed in Appendix 1) and the estimated cost of sign manufacture and installation is approximately $33,000.00.

The previous municipalities of York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough installed numerous identity signs at their respective borders, and staff recommend that these 54 signs be removed once this report is adopted by Toronto City Council, at an approximate cost of $8,000.00.

A standard design of traffic regulation signs was adopted by the seven previous municipalities in 1994. The top panel of the sign was reserved for the name of the municipality. All of the existing signs can be readily retrofitted to identify the City of Toronto by placing an overlay across the top panel.

There are approximately 190 signs which should be retrofitted with an overlay, at an estimated total cost of approximately $15,000.00.

Presently approximately 12 guide signs identify Civic Centres throughout the amalgamated City of Toronto. The existing signs incorporate a logo that was unique to the previous local municipality. Staff recommend that these guide signs be replaced by signs which simply identify the individual Civic Centres by name (a legend message only) with white wording on the special blue background. The use of the City Hall symbol would be confusing, and some members of the general public would be guided to a different Civic Centre when they were actually seeking City Hall. The exception would be guide signs to City Hall itself. Examples of these guide signs are illustrated on the attachments. Staff will work with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario to replace these types of signs on provincial highways.

There are 18 locations which staff have identified for Civic Centre guidance signs, and the estimated cost of the manufacture and installation of these signs is $12,000.00.

The total cost of the aforementioned signage program is estimated to be approximately $68,000.00, which is included in the Division's 1999 Current Budget estimates.

Conclusions:

Since the approval of a new City logo, staff have prepared a comprehensive road signage plan to identify the City of Toronto boundary, to amend the traffic regulations signs, and to guide motorists to Civic Centres. The estimated cost of this program is $68,000.00. Staff recommend the implementation of this plan occur in 1999.

Contact Name:

Peter K. Hillier

Manager, Traffic Operations, District 4

Tel: (416) 396-7148

City of Toronto Boundary Identification Signs

Appendix 1

City Identity Sign Locations

Street	Direction	Location
Albion Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Bathurst Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Bayview Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Beare Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Birchmount Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Bloor Street	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
Brimley Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Burnhamthorpe Road	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
Dixon Road	E/B	East of Highway 427
Don Mills Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Don Valley Parkway	S/B	North of Lawrence Avenue
Dufferin Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Dundas Street	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
Eglinton Avenue	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
F. G. Gardiner Expressway	E/B	East of Highway 427
Fenmar Drive	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Finch Avenue	E/B	East of Highway 427
Finch Avenue	W/B	West of Pickering Town Line
Highway 2	W/B	West of Rouge River
Highway 27	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Islington Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Jane Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Keele Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Kennedy Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Kipling Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Lake Shore Boulevard	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
Leslie Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Markham Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Martin Grove Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
McCowan Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Middlefield Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Midland Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Pharmacy Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Reesor Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Rexdale Boulevard	E/B	East of Highway 427
Sewells Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Steeles Avenue	E/B	East of Highway 50
Steeles Avenue	W/B	West of Pickering Town Line
The Queensway	E/B	East of Etobicoke Creek
Twyn Rivers Drive	W/B	West of Pickering Town Line
Victoria Park Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Warden Avenue	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Weston Road	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue
Woodbine Avenue	S/B	S/W/C Steeles Avenue
Yonge Street	S/B	South of Steeles Avenue

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The following Councillors appeared before the Works Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Councillor Norman Kelly, Scarborough-Wexford; and

-Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, High Park.

Insert Sign No. 1

Insert Sign No. 2

Insert Sign No. 3

Insert Sign No. 4

Insert Sign No. 5

Insert Sign No. 6

The Works Committee also submits the following communication (September 8, 1999) from Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, High Park:

Recently I received a letter from Mr. Perry Joyce of Foremost Communications, which I have attached for your information, outlining his concerns about the proposed removal of the former cities' signs. Mr. Joyce is very interested in preserving these signs and has an interesting proposal with respect to his company installing some of them at City Hall, and auctioning off the remaining ones.

I would very much appreciate if your Committee would review Mr. Joyce's suggestions and give them serious consideration.

(Communication addressed to

Councillor Korwin-Kuczynski from Mr. Perry Clarke-Joyce, President,

Foremost Communications, referred to in

the foregoing communication)

Recently I was informed that the City of Toronto has given the go ahead to destroy the municipal signs for the former Cities of North York, Scarborough, Toronto, York, Etobicoke and the Borough of East York. This would be a great loss of historic memorabilia and revenue for the new City of Toronto.

These signs mean more than just markers where former City boundaries began and ended. They helped define communities.

That is why my company is proposing using some of these signs to decorate the new City of Toronto City Hall. This would not only give residents from the old municipalities a glimpse into their own past but also show how the City was formed.

Using my many contacts in the local artistic community, I would like to help create something within the new City Hall building using one sign from each of the former municipalities.

I would also propose an auction be held to sell each of the remaining signs. I know there are a number of residents in the new City of Toronto who are searching for a link to their past. A sign would provide that link. The money from the auction could go to the City to offset any number of costs, or could be donated to a charity of the City's choosing.

However, since this is a large undertaking, I am requesting funding from the City to retain an artist, cover the purchase of materials and other various costs. I believe that it would be money well spent for the reasons provided earlier in this communication.

I will contact you in the coming weeks to discuss the matter in greater detail. However, if you wish to speak to me before then, I can be reached at the number listed below

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Ms. Donna Lee McCallum, East York, appeared before the Works Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.