Everywhere a sign

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign,

Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind"

- "Signs," Five Man Electrical Band

If the provincial government follows through with its plans, there will be far fewer signs on the sides of highways and byways in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The province wants to make signs in this province match what tourists see in other Canadian provinces, throughout much of the United States and in many other countries.

Gone will be the interesting and creative billboards beckoning tourists from home and away to the restaurants, craft shops and museums off the beaten path.

Those signs, many interesting and unique, will eventually be replaced by small, standard blue and white directional signs. Nothing else, no matter how far back from the side of the road, will be allowed.

As a first step, government intends to start removing signs that don't meet even the current, more lenient rules early next month. The province has warned those businesses and organizations, just like the song says, "you ain't suppose to be here."

When the government asked departing tourists a few years ago how their trip to the province fell short, the most common response was that signage was confusing and inadequate. Visitors said they had difficulty finding major attractions.

That seems to point to the need for more signage, not less.

The province claims using the standardized signage system will make signage more convenient and effective. It says the fingerboard style signs will be less distracting to drivers.

It is hard to imagine that a fingerboard sign with only a business name can be more effective than a billboard that can list location, distance off the highway, a telephone number, season of operation and more.

It is equally hard to understand how a tourist, or anyone else, could be less distracted by trying to decipher a dozen or more fingerboards gathered together than several large signs spread over several kilometres.

It's interesting to note that the fingerboard signs are administered through the provincial Department of Transportation and Works, and cost participating businesses a little over $140 a year.

"Sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside."

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador wants municipalities to adopt similar rules. But not all towns agree.

The Port aux Basques Town Council doesn't see anything wrong with the status quo. The consensus at last week's council meeting was that the new policy is misguided.

The town has to check into its own signs, including the one that directs people to the Bruce II Sports Centre.

As Mayor Brian Button told his fellow councillors, "we spend too much time trying to be like everyone else."

The province is right to enforce the rules currently on the books, but the idea of eliminating all but provincially controlled signage is too much.

"Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign."

Natalie Musseau