PrairiesCan signage requirements for Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream

Overview

This guide provides Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) funding recipients under the Build Communities Strong Fund – Local Impact Stream in the Prairie provinces (BCSF-LIS) with direction on the signage requirements and approval processes for publicly acknowledging Government of Canada and PrairiesCan support.

For PrairiesCan-funded projects under the BCSF-LIS, signage is a mandatory requirement. These requirements reflect federal signage direction from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) for the BCSF, adapted for PrairiesCan recipients.

Recipients should work directly with their PrairiesCan regional officer on signage requirements, approvals, reporting, and questions.

General signage principles

Project signage must acknowledge Government of Canada/PrairiesCan support and provide the public with basic information about the project.

Project signage must be:

• Clearly visible to the public and easy to read
• Installed in a safe and appropriate location
• Consistent with the requirements outlined in this guide
• Cost-effective and appropriate for the scale of the project
• Maintained while in place
• Responsibly decommissioned

In most cases, only one sign is required. However, recipients are free to install additional signs if warranted. For example, projects along a highway will normally have two signs installed – one for each traffic direction.

Signage design templates

For PrairiesCan-funded BCSF-LIS projects, recipients must use PrairiesCan’s BCSF-LIS project signage design templates.

• Recipients are not permitted to change/alter the template design elements, including font, colours, graphic elements, or the Building Canada Strong/Bâtir un Canada fort line.
• Recipients are permitted to add the project title (e.g., Upgrades to Regional Multiplex Recreation Centre, Library Space Expansion) and additional partner logos of equal size to the templates.

These templates include options for both physical and digital signage, such as exterior and interior physical signage, social media images, website buttons or icons and information board signs. Additional templates and formats can be developed as required.

Download PrairiesCan’s BCSF-LIS project signage design templates

• Digital signage templates (2.2 MB)
• Multi-partner signage for black-colour logos (9.3 MB)
• Multi-partner signage for white logos (10.5 MB)
• Multilingual partner signage (3.8 MB)

How to use the project signage design templates

On Windows:

1. Find the downloaded ZIP file on your Windows computer, usually in your Downloads folder
2. Right-click the ZIP file and select Extract All
3. Choose where you want to save the files and select Extract
4. Go to the location where you saved the files and open the new folder to access the signage design templates

On macOS:

1. Find the downloaded ZIP file on your Mac, usually in your Downloads folder
2. Double-click the ZIP file to extract the files
3. Go to the location where the files were extracted and open the new folder to access the signage design templates

Note: Extract the files before opening or editing the templates. Do not open or edit the templates directly from the ZIP file. Keep all files and folders together after extracting them to ensure the templates continue to work correctly.

Acknowledging funding partners

A federal funding acknowledgement sign does not need to be its own standalone product – where and when applicable, multiple funding partners can be recognized on a single sign.

• For one sign acknowledging multiple partners:
  • Each funding partner should be represented by one logo, with all logos equal in size and prominence.
  • When two or more federal institutions are involved in funding a project, the Government of Canada wordmark should be used rather than the individual departmental signatures.
  • Where the project includes funding by different orders of government, logos should be displayed in the following order:
    • the Government of Canada wordmark on the far left;
    • the provincial logo on the far right; and
    • other contributor logos (e.g. municipal) in the centre, or on the right where there is no provincial contribution.
• For standalone partner signs:
  • Federal signage must match the size, prominence, and visibility of other funding partner signs.
  • Where possible, partner signs should be placed side by side. If this is not feasible, the federal sign must be installed nearby and remain equally visible.
  • PrairiesCan funding acknowledgement signs must display the name of the project and the departmental signature.

Digital and published sign options

Digital or published signage may be used in lieu of physical signage where appropriate, particularly when physical signage is not feasible.

A digital sign may be appropriate when:

• A physical sign would create safety concerns.
• A physical sign would result in unnecessary or disproportionate costs.
• The project is primarily digital, virtual or delivered across multiple locations.

When using digital/published signage, recipients must use the provided PrairiesCan BCSF-LIS digital signage templates.

Recipients should consult with their PrairiesCan regional officer to confirm whether a digital/published sign is appropriate for their project.

Use of Canada’s official languages

All physical and digital signage must be bilingual and comply with Canada’s Official Languages Act.

The placement of English and French depends on the community’s linguistic profile:

• In English-majority communities, English should appear on the left.
• In French-majority communities, French should appear on the left.

Recipients should work with their PrairiesCan regional officer on any questions related to official languages or translation.

Use of Indigenous languages

• For Indigenous-led projects, signage must include Canada’s two official languages. The language of the Indigenous community should also be included where required or appropriate. 
• All languages on the sign must be equal in size and prominence.

Recipients should work with their PrairiesCan regional officer to confirm whether an Indigenous language should be included on project signage.

Where a language other than English and French is added to the sign, recipients must use the applicable PrairiesCan BCSF-LIS multilingual signage template.

Manufacturing, installation, maintenance and removal

Recipients are responsible for producing, installing, maintaining and removing project signage.

Signage costs are eligible project expenses when they meet applicable program requirements. Recipients should consult their PrairiesCan regional officer to determine whether their signage costs are eligible project expenses.

Signs must:

• Use recyclable materials whenever possible to reduce environmental impact;
• Be securely installed in a prominent and visible location;
• Not obstruct traffic or create safety concerns;
• Comply with applicable provincial and municipal requirements; and
• Not be installed on third-party property without permission.

Recipients should consult provincial and municipal authorities as appropriate, particularly where signage will be installed near a road.

Recipients are responsible for keeping signs clean, legible, visible, and free from obstruction, and replacing damaged or missing signs.

Where a project will be publicly announced through an event or news release, signage should generally not be publicly displayed before the announcement. It may, however, be installed or unveiled as part of the announcement and used as an event backdrop.

Where no public announcement is planned, signage should be installed/posted 30 days before construction begins and removed no earlier than 30 days after construction ends. As a general rule, signs should not remain in place beyond two years after installation or after project completion, whichever comes first.

Where the nature, timing or circumstances of a project makes these timelines impractical, recipients should work with their PrairiesCan regional officer to determine an appropriate signage approach.

Approval process

Before producing, installing or publishing any project signage, recipients must submit their proposed sign to their PrairiesCan regional officer for approval.

The proposed design should include:

• The sign layout, using the templates provided
• The English and French project title – to be provided by PrairiesCan regional officer
• Any partner logos to be included
• The proposed sign dimensions
• The proposed installation or publication location
• The expected installation or publication date
• Whether the sign is physical or digital

Ensure compliance with all design and content requirements before sending your design for review.

Once your design is finalized, prepare it for print:

• Original dimensions are 686 mm (height) x 1219 mm (width) with 0.25" bleed and trim marks. Signs should be re-sized as required.

Reporting

Upon installation or publishing of the project signage, the recipient must provide their PrairiesCan regional officer with at least one clear photograph (or website URL if digital) confirming that the signage has been installed/published in accordance with the requirements outlined in this guide.

Pictures of physical signage should clearly display both the sign and its placement at the project site.