Kurt Kraler, “The Signs That Define Toronto”

Nominated for the ACO Public Education and Engagement Award

ERA Architects teamed up with Spacing and over 20 contributors to reveal the history, culture, and stories of Toronto as told through its unique signage. “The Signs That Define Toronto” is a 208-page book packed with gorgeous historic photographs accompanied by thoughtful essays on the social and cultural value of the city’s signage. The book explores the advances in the signage technology of commercial businesses over the years in chronological order, beginning with the fascia and projecting signs of the 19th century, followed by the hand-painted billboards of the E.L. Ruddy Company that covered many blank side walls across the city. Next came the proliferation of electric signs like movie-theatre marquees and neon signs, peaking in popularity by the 1950s, and then the more ubiquitous backlit signs that line the streets today. With the evolving nature of signage, the book speculates on the future of signs and what the city may look like in the coming decades.

“The Signs That Define Toronto” advocates for the significance of signage preservation in Toronto and raises awareness about the impact of signage bylaws on the evolving character of the city. The book is dedicated to covering various aspects of Toronto’s history by including underrepresented voices through a variety of sources, authors, and contributors with different lived experiences and backgrounds, making a part of Toronto’s history accessible to a broader public beyond heritage professionals. The true impact of the book has been the community it has fostered amongst contributors, fellow signage enthusiasts, and a broader public that have a new way of navigating the built environment around them.

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