Mayor fundraising for a $250K Hamilton gateway sign

Mayor Fred Eisenbergerhopes to raise up to $250,000 in private donations for a Hamilton gateway sign as part of his own Canada 150 project.

The mayor says the "portable"sign willbe positioned at events, or at city hall, or at one of Hamilton's gateway roads to welcome people to the city during 2017, Canada's 150th birthday and in following years.

He announced the plan during aFacebook Live virtual town hall with CBC HamiltonWednesday evening.

"I'm going to appeal to private sector players out there to raisethe money for a sign we can all be proud of,"Eisenbergersaid.

• No $230K welcome sign for now, but it'll be back

The mayor envisions the sign as "six foot tall letters that span 30 or 40 feet." The sign "might stand outside city hall from time to time, light up at various locations" or the city can "move it through the gateways in our community."

The notion of a gateway sign isn't a new one. City council heavily debated spending about $230,000 in 2014 prior to Eisenberger's election but some balked at the cost. In 2008, there was even a public vote to choose a design.

Laura Babcock, a local communications strategist, pitched the idea in 2014. She's happy the mayor is taking it on as a project.

A sign says "Here's where you're entering, here's what we offer, and for a city not to have that, it's missing something," Babcock said. "Given that we're one of the iconic cities in this country, it doesn't make sense."

samantha.craggs@cbc.ca | @SamCraggsCBC