The District of North Vancouver’s in-house signmaker, Cameron Stewart, retired this year after 14 years of creating cheeky reminders to pick up after your pup and stay off the flower beds.

“It sort of speaks to what the District of North Vancouver is about,” Stewart said. “It speaks to a more relaxed philosophy, I guess.”

He came up with about a dozen different humorous designs, which have been reproduced by the thousands. Once his managers saw that quirky signs could be more effective, he was given free rein, Stewart said.

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After years of working as a small engine mechanic, Ontario-born Stewart finally indulged his artistic side. He moved to B.C. in 1970 and started designing in 1984.

“I was always drawing pictures when I was a kid. I was sometimes the kid who got his artwork pinned on the wall in grade school. So there was always this love, and wanting to create something,” he said. He has a certificate in two-dimensional design from Emily Carr University, and took a sign-painting course at Pacific Vocational Institute, which is now BCIT.

Stewart said his predecessor warned him the dog signs could be a bit of trouble. Not only did he have to produce so many, but they could be controversial: “Dogs and dogs--t. It’s just such a hot-button topic.”

But the response from North Van residents was overwhelmingly positive. His first fan letter came in 2004 from someone named Carol, who wrote to say the sign translating “Pick up after your dogs” into “Grr, bark, woof” for area dogs was working wonders to keep the neighbourhood clean. That became the most popular sign, Stewart said.

He hopes his replacement will have a creative streak, whatever that looks like.

“Usually people bring their own skills. I’m interested in writing and poetry and humour. The next person might be interested in photography and cartooning. I just hope whoever replaces me can run with whatever their love is. That’s the important thing.”

zmcknight@vancouversun.com

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