District of 100 Mile House raises new banners along Birch Avenue

The District of 100 Mile House has installed new streetlight banners along Birch Avenue. 

These new banners were installed by district staff on Wednesday, April 9, and are part of the South Cariboo Visitor Centre's broader tourism marketing program. They replaced the old banners which had been up for several years and had deteriorated due to exposure to the weather. In a release announcing the move on Tuesday, April 8, the district noted these banners have been designed to last longer than the nylon fabric varieties used in the past. 

“We are looking forward to the new 100 Mile House banners as they’ll provide positive reminders of our attractive and engaging downtown,” Mayor Maureen Pinkney said. “The timing couldn’t be better as the district welcomes springtime with the candy canes coming down and the new banners going up.”

The new banners' design is intended to celebrate the District of 100 Mile House's local history and feature a stagecoach along with splash words encouraging visitors to explore the downtown core, including explore, experience, enjoy and discover. The district noted staff at the visitor centre worked hard to design a new fresh look that reflects the community authentically and shows off Birch Avenue. 

Julie Gilmore, the manager of the visitor centre, said they designed the new banners to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the District of 100 Mile House. She noted she believes the red and white colour scheme should look really nice on Birch Avenue once they're all installed. 

"We worked on it this year, Andrea Frisby did most of the graphic design on them, tweaking them and that kind of thing. It was a collaboration of quite a few people to get the design (the community) is seeing," Gilmore said. 

She explained the banners are made out of a mesh material designed to hold up to wind better than the old nylon fabric of previous banners, allowing the wind to pass through them. Gilmore remarked there's a 10-year warranty on the banners as well. 

"I think the banners look really nice and I can't wait to see them all along Birch," Gilmore said. "Hopefully everybody enjoys the nice, themed colours and the stagecoach and they brighten up our downtown core." 

The District of 100 Mile House has also approved a request from the Pride Society to put up some of their own specially designed banners. While initially, Pride had requested they be put up during June and July, council has since decided to have them up year-round on Birch Avenue from Fourth Street to the intersection of Horse Lake Road. 

Saturn Zezza, the founder of the 100 Mile Pride Society, said they and the society are thrilled to see the new banners installed. Pride's banners were created by Jasper Pettman, a Two-Spirit trans visual artist who was raised in 100 Mile House, and were designed to celebrate both Pride and the South Cariboo's culture. 

"These vibrant designs are a visible celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the spirit of Pride in 100 Mile House. It’s incredibly meaningful to see our town take this step in showing support for 2SLGBTQIA+ residents, visitors, and allies," Zezza said. "We’re excited for what this represents and grateful to everyone who helped make it happen."