First Nations artists sought to design new permanent VANCOUVER sign | Daily Hive

Temporary winter season VANCOUVER sign on Dec. 17, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The ball is now in motion to finally achieve the new permanent VANCOUVER sign, following several years of immense success with various temporary seasonal signs created by private activations on downtown Vancouver’s Central Waterfront.

This also follows Vancouver City Council’s approval this past spring of directing City of Vancouver staff to plan and install the civic pride public art installation in time for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in June 2026.

Ahead of that major deadline before the influx of visitors and global attention, City of Vancouver staff have launched two procurement processes in parallel to achieve the installation.

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One procurement process seeks three separate First Nations artists or teams — one representing each of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations — to design the two-dimensional artwork graphics that will be applied to the giant three-dimensional letter sign, spelling out all nine letters of the city’s name. The City is specifically looking for highly experienced artists in public art projects.

The deadline for artist applications is Jan. 2, 2026, with the three artists or teams selected on Jan. 9, 2026, by a panel comprising representatives of each of the three First Nations and City staff. Each selected artist or team will receive $25,000 for a combined total of $75,000 in artists’ fees in exchange for their contributions to the sign’s design. The artists are not responsible for any fabrication.

It is noted that the dimensions of the sign may extend up to six metres (19.7 ft.) in both width and length and up to five metres (16.4 ft.) in height. It is also stated in the procurement file that the artwork could be cropped so that it may be viewed from specific vantage points, effectively creating an anamorphic sculpture. The potential maximum height of the installation also suggests the creative possibility of a stacked-letter sculpture.

As well, the sign will include a programmable LED lighting component for nighttime illumination and will be constructed from durable, low-maintenance materials to enhance its longevity and withstand physical contact, vandalism, and exposure to outdoor weather conditions.

The temporary Taylor Swift-themed VANCOUVER sign for The Eras Tour in Dec. 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Temporary winter season VANCOUVER sign on Jan. 20, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Temporary winter season VANCOUVER sign on Jan. 6, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Separately, the second procurement process seeks a construction contractor to fabricate the physical three-dimensional letter sign, integrate the provided two-dimensional artwork provided by First Nations, and perform underground utility upgrades of electrical and drainage works, before installing the sign itself. The sign must be installed at the location by no later than May 2026.

The City is currently conducting a pre-qualification callout of contractors, with an aim to award this fabrication and construction contract by early February 2026, providing a tight timeline for the overall work required.

New permanent sign location on Canada Place Way sees slight changes

The precise location of the sign’s installation has also been slightly shifted since it was first proposed this past spring.

In May 2025, City staff presented their original site option of installing the sign on the wide pedestrian promenade on the north side of Canada Place Way — replacing some concrete planters and seating fixtures in the general area between the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building and the Canada Place pier.

This location was chosen due to its high pedestrian traffic, including tourists, event attendees, cruise-ship passengers, and general passersby. It also offers an attractive backdrop featuring the harbour, mountains, and West Building. The site has already proven successful for similar installations, having previously hosted the temporary CANADA 150 sign in 2017 and the more recent wintertime VANCOUVER sign — both of which drew substantial crowds for photo opportunities.

The temporary CANADA 150 sign at Canada Place’s East Plaza in 2017. (@olivaender_/Instagram)

However, the future permanent VANCOUVER sign location has since been shifted roughly 20 metres northeast — located in the middle of the East Plaza of Canada Place, near a trio of flagpoles and closer to the main entrances into the Canada Place pier, the convention centre’s East Building, and Pan Pacific Hotel. Currently, the sign’s footprint in this plaza is occupied by a holiday season giant bear lighting sculpture.

“Together with our partners, the City of Vancouver is excited to move forward with a permanent VANCOUVER Sign,” the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive Urbanized today following an inquiry.

“The updated location near the main entrance of Canada Place was selected to provide a safer, more accessible space for residents and visitors to view the sign while reducing pedestrian congestion and creating an inviting area for interactive photos with iconic views. The final design details of the sign are still being finalized, and we look forward to sharing more details in the new year as the project progresses.”

The shifted location in the plaza offers a similar backdrop, a more level surface compared to the previous promenade sidewalk location, and a larger area for people to congregate and take photos with the sign. It also likely reduces the project’s potential construction costs, with the previous location requiring the removal of concrete planters and seating.

Cancelled previous May 2025 location concept:

vancouver sign permanent proposed location canada place way

Cancelled location concept: Planters, seating, and other structures to be removed for the area of the permanent VANCOUVER sign on Canada Place Way. (City of Vancouver)

New updated location as of November 2025:

vancouver sign permanent new location canada place east plaza

New updated location for the new permanent VANCOUVER sign, November 2025. (City of Vancouver)

November 2025-finalized location of the new permanent VANCOUVER sign at the East Plaza of Canada Place. (Kenneth Chan)

The procurement file for the construction contractor specifies that the installation work at the site must account for the membrane and roof structure that plaza surface sits on top of, as the plaza is directly above the indoor east-west hallway that connects the convention centre’s East and West buildings. This was previously accomplished with the nearby installation of the standalone Canada Place Welcome Centre and FlyOver kiosk structures.

In May 2025, based on the previous location and concept requirements, it was noted by City staff that the public art project could carry a cost of between $580,000 and $950,000, including $250,000 to $350,000 to fabricate the sign, $100,000 to $200,000 for site preparation works and the installation of a reinforced concrete base, electrical wiring, and mounting hardware, and $150,000 to $200,000 on local First Nations representation, including artist compensation.

The project’s cost is being covered by the municipal government (up to $300,000), local tourism authority Destination Vancouver ($200,000), and Vancouver Hotel Destination Association (VHDA). Downtown Van, the local business improvement association for downtown Vancouver, is also providing an unspecified financial contribution.

Giant three-dimensional signs spelling the name of a destination are popular worldwide. While the previous temporary VANCOUVER signs were popular, they were light-weight structures not designed for longevity, durability, and the outdoor elements, and lacked local cultural design considerations.

For instance, the solid pink-coloured VANCOUVER sign by Cadillac Fairview was a temporary installation for the company’s Junction Public Market activation of the nearby Granville Square plaza in the summers of 2024 and 2025. However, after two consecutive summer seasons of use, by August 2025, this lightweight styrofoam sign by the landlord was observed to be in extremely poor condition, with deterioration and vandalism. Despite its decay, it was still popular with tourists for photos.

In June 2025, many Reddit commentators mistakenly believed this pink sign was the City’s investment of up to nearly $1 million for a permanent VANCOUVER sign.

vancouver sign temporary junction public market august 2025

August 2025 deteriorated condition of Cadillac Fairview’s temporary summer season VANCOUVER sign at Junction Public Market at Granville Square. (Kenneth Chan)

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