Provincial Heritage Markers Programs
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An early highway point-of-interest sign originally put up near Drumheller by the local board of trade (taken from an old postcard, exact source unknown). |
Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture administers approximately 140 roadside point-of-interest signs. The program was originally implemented in the 1950s. The vast majority of the signs are historical in content. There are also signs addressing natural history. In 1995 the Department, in co-operation with the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation, undertook a program to replace the existing signs, many of which displayed varying levels of distress. As well, the content of some of the signs no longer reflected current scholarship. In addition, the signs represented a series of five different construction styles that had been used over the years. The overall effect fell short of the unified visual approach that was originally intended.
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Examples of old roadside point-of-interest signs |
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In 1995/96 five test signs were installed. Since that time an additional 52 have been installed, for a total of 57 signs. The intent of the new program is to replace all of the original 140 signs. In some instances, it has not been possible to replace signs in their original locations due to upgraded Department of Transportation requirements for turnouts. In such cases the signs are either relocated or in rare cases dropped from the inventory.
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old marker |
new marker |
The new signs cost an average of $11,000 each exclusive of research. They are designed to the same standards as the Department of Transportation highway signs.
For further information contact
the Planning Advisor 
.
