Heritage advocates, citizens are outraged that a heritage sign on Granville and Broadway has been replaced without city approval, in Vancouver on August 10, 2015.Jimmy Jeong/The Globe and Mail
The familiar blue Kaplan sign that hung above one of Vancouver's most prominent street corners for decades has been replaced by a shocking orangey red, an unauthorized alteration that has been met with outrage from citizens and heritage activists in a city that takes its iconic neon seriously.
The building, formally known as the Dick Building, is municipally designated A-list heritage, which means it is legally protected. But its sign, which once matched the blue on the ornate exterior, is now the sort of colour more likely seen in fast food restaurants than on a building of historical importance.
There are only a few protected A-list heritage buildings in Vancouver, including the Marine Building and the Hudson's Bay building. And there are few remaining neon signs, which used to crowd the city's major arteries throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Vancouver was so famous for its thousands of neon signs that it's been the subject of documentaries over the years, as well as a museum exhibit.
By the late 60s, when they were no longer in fashion, city council passed bylaws that put an end to the bright lights. Today, the city so covets its few remaining neon signs that it has gone to great lengths to protect them. A 29-metre-high car dealership sign was so fiercely protected in the 90s, when Toys "R" Us took over the property the major retail chain had to retain the original sign and could only partially cover it with a perforated metal sign of their own. It's an unsightly mess of signage, but the original Bow Mac car dealership sign – North America's biggest free standing sign back in the day – remains intact. For fans of the city's great neon age, that's all that matters.
It's therefore not surprising that when tenant AEG Education Services recently made drastic changes to the Kaplan sign, the city would hear about it.
Long-time heritage consultant Don Luxton, who regularly works with the city, referred to the alteration as a "disaster."
"People were freaking out about it, so the calls started going into the city," he said. "I saw it at one point and thought, 'What the heck is going on there?' I didn't know anything about it, and apparently the city didn't, either. Obviously, nobody caught it."
"I don't know how it could be changed like that. What I'm hearing is it was brought to the attention of the city, and they went crazy and are looking into it."
The private school and their sign maker had initially asked the city about altering the sign. City staff had informed them that the sign is part of an A-list heritage building and has historic value, which meant there was a process to follow. A heritage consultant would have to prepare a sign conservation plan to determine what type of changes could be made. And the school, which teaches leadership skills to children, would also have to apply for a sign permit. Instead, the school went ahead with the work.
"Despite being advised that a permit application would be required to alter the signage, the owners chose to do the work without a permit," said Anita Molaro, assistant director of planning, in an e-mail.
Once the sign went up, the city started receiving complaints, according to Mr. Luxton. Following a visit from the inspector, AEG applied for a permit. The city is now reviewing the application and determining if the changes are acceptable.
"If refused, enforcement to restore the original signage will begin," said Ms. Molaro.
A spokesman for AEG Education did not return a request for comment.
The sign has been altered before. Originally, it was the home of Pitman Business College, which erected the rotating neon sign. But when Kaplan took over many years ago, the company changed the letters of the sign but little else, so that it didn't look out of context.
The city might approve some changes to the Kaplan sign, but they'd be limited, said Ms. Molaro. The sign structure, location, operation, colour scheme, neon and main design features would likely all have to remain the same. If the tenant refuses to comply to restore the sign, the case could go before a judge, who would impose fines.
"The sign was rotating and neon as well, which was quite unusual," said Mr. Luxton. "There aren't many [neon signs] left considering how many thousands there were. Only a few of them are listed as important and the city manages them."
After extensive negotiation, the Ramada hotel chain was allowed to transform the beloved 1947 Niagara Hotel waterfall sign to reflect the company logo. However, none of the artistic glory of the old neon sign remains.
The good news, says civic historian John Atkin, is that the Kaplan sign – like the Bow Mac and Niagara signs – can be easily fixed, judging from what he's seen.
"Signs do evolve, but I think in this case, the evolution of bright red might be a bit out to lunch," he said. "But nothing they've done to it has wrecked the sign per se, because it can be very easily restored. Same thing as the Niagara – as ugly as it is, the Niagara sign could very easily be restored.
"The Kaplan sign was a Royal Bank kind of blue. The Pitman was darker blue and burgundy. I would look at the colour and either tone it way down, or go back to a blue."
Kerry Gold