The Glebe unveils new gateway installation

The Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) is hoping a new installation at the gateway of the community “captures the energy of the neighbourhood.”

The BIA says the installation, at the corner of Bank Street and Chamberlain Avenue, happened through The Glebe Gateway Signage Project, in partnership with Underground Sound, the Province of Ontario, a group of volunteer stakeholders and creative professionals.
 
The point of the nearly three-year-long project was to create an engaging point of entry to the neighbourhood, according to the BIA. “One that reflects the pride of all who live and work in the Glebe and greets all who come to the area as visitors and patrons,” it says.
 
The project included a public consultation process that featured four potential concepts for consideration. The public provided feedback that was incorporated into the final design. The result is a colourful, multi-dimensional installation of letters that mark entry to the neighbourhood against a backdrop of the area’s newest and largest mural completed this past August.  
 
“The multiple colours and fonts speak to the kind of diverse nature of the Glebe,” says Aerographics designer Dave O’Malley. “You have to take this sign in conjunction with the flowers and the bannering and all of the efforts that are pulled together, it’s all one thing. It marks the beginning and all the way down Bank Street, you know you are in the Glebe.”
 
Underground Sound treasurer Lynn Barlow, who has also lived in the Glebe for 53 years, adds that the sign is engaging, interactive and will become a source of pride for residents and visitors alike.
 
“Having a sign stating your community’s name, makes people feel proud that it’s being recognized as something worth marking,” she says. “The big colourful letters spelling 'Glebe' really signifies happiness, family, and positivity. Even the large letters invite people to come and sit or stand beside it for photos.”