By: Laura Keil
As the sun set on Thursday evening, the sun also set on the old sign at the fire hall.
Donovan Gee and Dean Schneider carefully removed the old sign which was faded from decades of sun on the south-facing wall. The huge glass frame was intact, however, and they weren’t sure what they would do with it.
Firefighters there for Thursday night practice debated where it should go. They later decided to hang it inside for its “sentimental value” Lalonde said.
Assistant Fire Chief Schneider, who spearheaded the change, said he thought it was time for a new sign – especially one that could fill the blank wall underneath the clock tower.
Fire Chief Rick Lalonde said he couldn’t recall offhand what year the original sign went up. The village crest on the sign was designed in the 1980s.
In 2012 the Village of Valemount retired the old logo which was still part of the sign on the fire hall and adopted a new sun/snowflake logo. The fire hall sign was the last prominent display of the old Village crest.
Schneider notes the lift was donated by Lakes District Maintenance and the cost of the sign was covered by the fire department’s general funds. They plan to add gooseneck-style lights to illuminate the sign at night.
