Skip to content

Council to purchase historic signs

Council to go ahead with project
web1_IMG_jack-webb5005
Councillor Jack Webb suggested the town put up historical signs as a beautification project

Council has decided to give the green light to a suggestion to purchase some historic street signs for the town.

At its Monday meeting, council agreed to order eight signs for the downtown core of Rimbey.

The decision came on the heels of a suggestion by Coun. Jack Webb.

“To my surprise and also to my delight I discovered the streets used to be named,” said Webb. “Purchasing signs would be a great way to honour our history, especially with Canada’s 150 birthday coming up.”

“The official names of the streets are not changing,” said Coun. Paul Payson.

Mayor Rick Pankiw had originally expressed concern that historic street signs would be confusing, but the signs to be ordered will have both the current name and the historic name.

“I love the idea of something historical,” he said.

Public works director Rick Schmidt said some of the street signs are due to be replaced, so the timing is good to purchase new signs.

“They are due for replacement anyway,” he said.

Schmidt is waiting for confirmation from council as to what streets will receive the new signs.

He said each sign would cost $148. The original green signs cost $80.

According to the Mount Auburn Cemetery Map surveyed between 1904 and 1962, 17 historic street names were used in Rimbey.

50th Avenue was known as Jasper Avenue and 40th Avenue was Rimbey Avenue. Other names used included Princess Avenue, Watts Avenue, Queens Avenue, Kings Avenue and more. 52nd Street was known as First A Street West and 43rd Street was Rimbey Street. Railway Street was 42nd Street.