The OTTAWA sign, located on the York Street Plaza in the ByWard Market, will be replaced with a new, permanent version before the end of the year.

This week is the last chance for residents and visitors to take farewell pictures with the original OTTAWA sign. On Monday, November 18, construction will begin to remove the existing structure and prepare the site for the new one.

The perimeter of the York Street Plaza will be temporarily fenced while the site is being prepared. There will be no impact to parking on York Street, but there will be a minor pedestrian diversion around the work area. The new sign is expected to be installed before Christmas.

The original sign was unveiled for Canada’s 150th anniversary in the spring of 2017 and has become a popular backdrop for hundreds of thousands of memorable photographs. After three years of enjoyment by residents and visitors, and exposure to sun, rain and snow, the sign has reached the end of its lifecycle.

The City is replacing the sign with support from Ottawa Tourism. The York Street Plaza will remain home to the new sign, which will keep the same dimensions and continue to proudly spell out OTTAWA in upper-case letters. Designed with Ottawa’s four seasons in mind, the new sign is made from a robust combination of materials for long-term durability.

The new sign will also feature an enhanced internal lighting system, which will allow the letters to shine in a wide spectrum of colours. Throughout the year, the lighting will be customized to reflect seasonal, celebratory and festive themes, offering ever-changing photo opportunities for residents and visitors.

The City will implement a new program in the coming year for the community to submit special sign lighting requests. More information, including lighting criteria and submission deadlines, will be on ottawa.ca once the new sign is installed.

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