Blade Signs

Blades are fastened onto panel signs that are located on main County roads. There is room for four blades on each panel sign. These large panel signs are meant to direct travellers heading towards an attraction, typically no closer than 1km and no farther than 30km away from the destination.

The panel sign is grey in colour. It measures 8 feet wide by 4 feet tall and mounted on two wooden posts.

Each blade dimension is 7.6 feet wide by 0.7 feet tall and contains the following, in order, left to right:

• Directional arrow
• Icon representative of the attraction
• Name of business/ attraction
• Distance to business/ attraction (km)

Directional tourism signage also known as a pay-to-play programme provides an opportunity for tourism attractions and tourism-based businesses to promote their location.

Define the eligibility, use, design and authority for directional tourism signage on County of Wellington roads.

1. Elevate the County of Wellington’s profile.
2. Increase awareness and provide directional information for tourism businesses, attractions and points of interest found throughout the County.
3. Provide local tourism businesses with a quality pay-to-play option for signage that complements both the needs of the business owner and the County.
4. Provide clear, methodical sequence of identification and tourism-based directional signage for visitors and residents.
5. Define a route through the County that will bring several small tourism venues together to create a larger tourism package, resulting in tourists staying longer and spending more.

Defining the requirements allows eligible businesses and attractions to obtain directional tourism signage along a route that will lead motoring tourists to their destination in a reasonably direct manner.

We want each sign to be the most accessible to the visitor and be situated in a location that connects them to your product when they make the effort to travel here. The County of Wellington reserves the right to determine the best location for directional tourism signage.

This decision will be based upon, but is not limited to:

• Improving access
• Enhancing the experience
• Boosting visitation

The County of Wellington will administer all Directional Tourism Signage. The Programme will be administered through the Economic Development Department in partnership with the Roads Operation Division.

Economic Development Department:

• Promotion of the Signage Programme
• Approval or denial of signage applications
• Approval of signage symbol and content
• Collection of documents, fees and payment terms for tourism signage
• Coordination of signage order and installation
• Coordination with sign manufacturer

Roads Operation Division:

• Identify ideal signage locations
• Removal of tourism signage along County roads
• Ensuring maintenance and replacement of signage

• All applicants must abide by a 3-year commitment and will sign an undertaking to this effect.
• The commitment between the applicant and the County of Wellington will be in force for 3 years from the date the sign is installed.
• Each applicant must have their payment submitted by November 30th for both Payment Option 1 and Payment Option 2 (see Table A).
• Signs will be manufactured during the winter months with install occurring in May of the following calendar year.
• Payment will be invoiced and accepted in the form of cheque, credit card and cash.

All fees for the directional tourism signage have been established on a cost recovery basis. These costs include the administration of the programme, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of the directional tourism signs.

The County of Wellington has the highest number of neighbouring municipalities in the Province of Ontario, therefore we have chosen to include businesses that are located outside the County boundaries to bring in additional visitors and consumers. Out of County businesses will be subject to an additional surcharge of $50.00 per sign, per year.

Wellington County Businesses

Option 1: Lump Sum Payment

$750.00 + $97.50 (HST) = $847.50

$847.50 per sign - $75.00 (10% base discount)

Lump sum payment of $772.50

*3-year term savings of $75.00

Option 2: Annual Payment Plan

$250.00 + $32.50 (HST) = $282.50

Annual Amount Due: $282.50 per sign, per year

Out of County Businesses

Option 1: Lump Sum Payment

$900.00 + $117.00 (HST) = $1017.00

$1017.00 per sign - $90.00 (10% base discount)

Lump sum payment of $927.00

*3-year term savings of $90.00

Option 2: Annual Payment Plan

$300.00 + $39.00 (HST) = $339.00

Annual Amount Due: $339.00 per sign, per year

• Successful applicants are committed to a three-year term and are required to pay for all three years, whether it is paid on a lump sum or annual basis.
• Failure to make an annual payment during the three-year period by the November 30th due date will result in the removal of the sign.
• If a business closes before the three-year term has expired, the business will not be reimbursed for any time remaining in the three-year term and the sign will be removed. The full payment for the three-year term will be required to be paid despite the closure of the business.
• After the three-year term has finished the sign will be removed or businesses may reapply for another three-year term, following the same conditions as the initial application.

Removal of signage may occur for the following reasons:

• The location of the directional tourism signage is needed to be utilized for roadway purposes or activities including:
  • construction, reconstruction or maintenance;
  • The business is no longer in operation;
  • The business declines renewal of the signage contract;
  • The location of a tourism sign endangers the health, safety or welfare of the public.
• When a directional tourism sign is removed and cannot be re-installed at an approved substitute location, the tourism business shall be entitled to an appropriate pro-rata rebate for the remainder of the 3-year term.
• All installation, removal and maintenance of signage will be performed by the County of Wellington Roads Operations Division or an approved contractor. At no time shall the business enter upon County road right-of-way for such purpose or perform any such activities within the roadway right-of-way.
• The granting of directional tourism signage does not convey any rights, title or interest to the County of Wellington road right-of-way.
• There will be a "grandfathering" in process for signs that already exist on County of Wellington roadways. If a sign becomes damaged or no longer meets the Roads Department standards, the sign will be removed.

County of Wellington directional tourism signage will project a consistent design and image that will be easily identifiable to County road users. County of Wellington Directional Signage will contain the following design elements:

1. The base directional tourism sign will be 9’ x 5’ (feet).
2. A maximum of four (4) businesses shall be placed on one post location.
3. Each business panel will be approximately 1’ x 8’ (feet)
4. A maximum of 25 characters, including spaces, per business panel
5. Each business panel will contain a directional arrow, universal traffic symbol, business name and distance to location in kilometres.

1. The principle body of the business panel will be a blue background with engineering grade white reflective legend and border;
2. The content of the sign legend shall be limited to the identification of the business by its operating name, the distance to the business and a directional arrow.
3. All sign legends are subject to the approval of the Economic Development Department.
4. One symbol may be included per business panel.
5. No business logos or trademarks may be used in the tourism signage legend.

The County of Wellington Directional Tourism Signage Programme is designed for attractions and tourism-based businesses. These operations must promote tourism in the region and provide tourism activities or services. A categorized listing of “primary” businesses eligible for the Programme includes (but is not limited to):

• Overnight accommodations
• Agri-tourism / farm-based tourist attractions
• Attractions
• Authentic regional food tourism
• Boat rentals and charters
• Campgrounds
• Casinos
• Conservation areas
• Convention centres
• Cultural centres
• Developed natural sites
• Downtown areas
• Equestrian facilities
• Fishing / hunting lodges
• Flying operations
• Golf courses (Public)
• Lakes and waterways
• Live and performance theatre
• Major sports facilities
• Marinas
• Public arts galleries
• Public beaches
• Racetracks (horse, motor, go-kart)
• Tourism information centres
• Animal displays / centres

Eligible Secondary Businesses

The County of Wellington Directional Tourism Signage programme understands the importance of non-commercial (non-profit /community owned) tourism attractions that provide visitors with an experience in Heritage or Historical, Recreational, Entertainment, Natural, Cultural, and Educational activities.

A categorized listing of “secondary” businesses eligible for the Programme includes (but is not limited to):

• Community centres
• Farmers’ markets
• Historic sites / heritage buildings
• Libraries
• Public museums and archives
• Parks
• Picnic areas
• Scenic lookouts/natural attractions / hiking trails
• Winter recreation trail access points

Mapping and Signage Locations

Potential Directional Tourism Signage locations can be found below. Final locations will be based on business needs.

Township of Centre Wellington tourism sign locations

Sign #8 Traveling northeast on County Road 21 at 2^nd Line East

Sign #9 Traveling southeast on County Road 16 at 19

Sign #10 Traveling southwest on County Road 18 at 2nd line

Sign #20 Traveling southwest on County Road 19 at T-intersection with 26

Sign #21 Traveling southwest on County Road 18 at 26

Sign #22 Traveling northwest on County Road 29 at T-intersection with 18

Sign #23 Traveling southeast on County Road 18 at 2nd line

Sign #24 Traveling northeast on County Road 19 at 2nd Line

Sign #27 Traveling northwest on County Road 7 at 1st line

Town of Erin tourism sign locations

Sign #17 Traveling northwest on County Road 125 at 124

Sign #18 Traveling northwest on County Road 24 at 124

Sign #19 Traveling southwest on County Road 124 at 26

Township of Guelph-Eramosa tourism sign locations

Sign #15 Traveling northeast on County Road 124 at 29

Township of Mapleton tourism sign locations

Sign #2  Travelling northwest on County Road 7 at 109

Sign #5  Travelling northwest on County Road 7 at 11

Sign #6  Travelling northeast on County Road 12 at 8

Sign #25 Travelling northwest on County Road 86 at 12

Sign #28 Travelling southeast on County Road 7 at 11

Sign #29 Travelling northwest on County Road 86 at 11

Town of Minto tourism sign locations

Sign #26 Traveling south on County Road 109 at 123

Township of Wellington North tourism sign locations

Sign #3 Travelling West on County Road 109 at Highway 6

Sign #4 Travelling West on County Road 109 at 16

Please contact the Economic Development Office with any recommendations for a location not identified.