The Sign Depot
 

class="tag"Posts Tagged ‘history’

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Historic Building Became A Hot Spot For Sign Depot

It Was Heating Up At The Sign Depot

June 17 2014 was a very interesting day for us here at The Sign Depot in Kitchener Ontario.  Our fire alarms began going off inside this historic building at Borden and Charles streets.  We evacuated the building and were informed by The City Of Kitchener Fire Department that the fire was in a different part of the building (the 50 Ottawa St. S side) and that it was under control and it would be out shortly. This was a relief to us, but we took it as a sign that we should appreciate this historic location and we thought we would give you a brief history about this building

Before The Sign Depot Occupied This Historic Building

According to Western Libraries the history of this building begins with Doon Twines, owned by The Krug Family, needing a bigger factory to meet the high demand of rope in 1916. The Krugs renamed the company (which would now be termed as rebranding) to Canada Cordage and according to Ropecord News it was once Kitchener’s biggest employer.  In 2007 Canada Cordage was sold and moved from this building.  Enter Access Storage.

Historic Building Sign - Access Storage - The Sign Depot

Access Storage took over the building and converted it into a Self Storage facility and leased industrial space to other businesses.

 This is when The Sign Depot moved into the Borden Ave. S. side of the building.  You can read more about our move to the building on Peter’s blog post A Good Move For Custom Signs

 

Present Day At The Sign Depot

Being in this building for almost five years, we have witnessed several changes in the area. Many new businesses have been drawn to the area with word that this will be a hub for Region of Waterloo’s LRT (otherwise know as Rapid Transit or the ION).  This meant there were a lot of eyes on yesterday’s events.  You can read about the fire in building on the THE RECORD website as well as on the Waterloo Region Police Services incident page for June 17.

Thanks To Kitchener Fire

We would like to thank the Kitchener Firefighters that worked quickly to contain the blaze and extinguished the fire.  We hope that it’s a sign of how important this historic building is to the community.

Kitchener Fire Department At Historic Building - The Sign Depot

Kitchener Fire Department At Historic Building - The Sign Depot

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Custom Pub Signs – Traditional VS Modern

Creating Custom Pub Signs

Pub signs are very unique sign projects.  Traditionally they were one of a kind projects to mark a local establishment.  Today some pubs are part of restaurant chains which means the signs will be duplicated.  The professional sign makers here at Sign Depot take a different approach to each sign project.  This gives the restauranteurs a variety of choice and the opportunity to personalize their custom pub signs.

Traditional Pub Signs

Traditional pubs signs are often 3 dimensional custom carved wood signs.  They were highly visible signs to passers-by.  To learn more about traditional pub signs please take a look at the slide show below.

The History Of Pub Signs 

These pubs are generally geared to distinct crowd.  Many have a rich family heritage and the owners want that  history to been represented in their pub’s sign. Personalization of the sign is of tremendous importance.

Modern Pub Signs

Modern pub signs can be just as customized as traditional pub signs.  These signs tend to made from an assortment of materials and are built to a much larger scale.  These modern day pubs are often located in larger buildings that are created that way to compete with other establishments in the restaurant industry. They often have a menu mix of traditional and modern fare.

Beertown Sign - Modern Pub Sign The Sign Depot

Designing A Pub Sign

Whether choosing a Traditional or Modern Pub Sign there are several factors to consider

  1. How big in the building that the sign will be displayed on?
  2. Is the traffic near the pub vehicle or pedestrian traffic. or a bit of both?
  3. What will the text say?
  4. What kind of logo or graphics will best represent the pub?
  5. What is the budget for the project?

Once you are able to answer these five questions, then the design and sign permit process can begin.  Customizing a sign can be just as individual as you are.  Here at The Sign Depot we have quite a portfolio of both traditional and modern pub signs. Make sure to contact us regarding your restaurant signage needs.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!  

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