Eleven municipalities on the Northeast Avalon have formed a regional partnership to develop a Wayfinding Signage Plan for each participating municipality to enhance the connectivity of their existing assets and enhance the visitor experience. The list of municipalities participating in this project are: Conception Bay South, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Torbay, Wabana, Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, Pouch Cove, Witless Bay, Holyrood, Bay Bulls, and Bauline.

This plan will recommend similar signage for all municipalities, and provide residents and visitors a simplified wayfinding system.

Public Surveys

Tract Consulting Inc. has been retained to develop signage location plans for all eleven participating municipalities, and is looking for feedback from the community on what important points, attractions, and information should be incorporated on the signs. Complete the survey below for any locations where you reside or visit, to help highlight important features to be considered in the signage location plans. Completing surveys from other municipalities is encouraged, if you visit them.

Public Surveys will be available until September 6, 2021. Links to each municipalities’ survey are below (in order of population):

Town of Conception Bay South
City of Mount Pearl
Town of Paradise
Town of Holyrood
Town of Torbay
Town of Wabana
Town of Pouch Cove
Town of Witless Bay
Town of Bay Bulls
Town of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove
Town of Bauline

“Conception Bay South is very happy to lead the logistics of this initiative.  This project is another excellent example of an effective and meaningful regional partnership”, said Deputy Mayor Richard Murphy. “Through this collaboration, we will develop a wayfinding system that is not only useful to residents, but will allow visitors and tourists to navigate our communities safely and with confidence. By sharing the financing of this initiative, coupled with generous support from both the federal and provincial governments, each participating municipality will receive a customized, multiyear signage implementation strategy based on their individual needs and resources”.

Background

In 2017, the Tourism Division of the Newfoundland and Labrador Government embarked on the creation of Regional Destination Development Plans (DDP). The province was divided by destination marketing regions, and for the St. John’s region the plan was titled the Northeast Avalon DDP. Included in this plan was an action item that would see a useful and comprehensive regional wayfinding system developed for the Northeast Avalon with common design and relevant content including directions, distances and attractions, in order to enhance the out-of-province visitor experience.

Phase I of regional wayfinding on the Northeast Avalon took the form of a pilot project funded in part by ACOA and the Provincial Government.  It was proposed by the City of St. John’s, who partnered with the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philips. The deliverables for this project included a signage template that settled sign design, concepts, and costing, and a signage location plan for each community to inform the delivery of a multi-modal wayfinding program in the Northeast Avalon. Throughout the development of the template, consultation took place with the remaining thirteen communities and other tourism stakeholders in group settings where comments and critique were accepted and discussed by the group along with the consultant.

Following a consultation meeting in August 2020, five of the region’s towns began to discuss a possible framework for the next phase of developing a regional wayfinding system. During Fall 2020, the Town of Conception Bay South agreed to lead the progress towards a funding application on behalf of the group of municipalities. As further discussions with funders continued into December 2020, and after the template was finalized for the pilot project, it was determined that the first step for the group of municipalities to work towards a regional wayfinding system was the necessary component of location planning for each community. Funding for the project has been provided by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency at 50% and the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology at 24%. The participating municipalities will contribute the remaining 26%.