CHESTERMERE – The case of the missing sign is still a mystery to the members of Chestermere Community Services.
Last winter, their sign, which they used to advertise local programs and events, disappeared from the side of Highway 1A on the west side of town.
First, they noticed that it had been hit and broken by a snowplow after a big storm, and a few weeks later when Public Works went to retrieve the damaged sign out of the snowbank, it was gone.
“The legs were still there, but the sign was gone,” said Dawn Gulmick of Community Services. “It was the topic of many conversations around here for a while.
“It’s funny how it’s been on everyone’s minds even though it’s just a sign, but I think everyone thought it was funny because it just randomly disappeared.”
After hearing the story about the missing sign, Chuck and Kyle Wilson of Wilson Master Media decided to build and donate a new sign to Community Services.
Wilson said that the story in the newspaper about the mysterious sign disappearance was always in the back of their minds, so they decided to see how they could help.
“Wilson Master Media is in the sign business, so when Kyle and I caught wind of the story of the missing sign, it was just something that stuck in our minds,” Wilson said. “So we approached Community Services out of curiosity to see if they were replacing it, and they told us they couldn’t afford it, so we decided we could put one together.”
Wilson said that his other son, Ryan, is a welder, so they went and took some pictures of other signs and came up with their own design, and built the whole thing from scratch.
“It may not be snowplow proof but it’s a pretty solid sign,” he said. “It’s was our pleasure to build it and now give back to the community.
“We’ve had great response from the community with our benches and Chestermere Daily Deals, so it’s just good karma. We are glad we were able to do it.”
Wilson said that as long as they are in town, it’s got lifetime warranty, so if they ever have a problem with it, they can fix it.
Jeanette Bailey, also of Community Services, said that they use the sign to advertise their programs and services, but also to promote special events for groups like Christmas With Dignity and the United Way.
“It will be easier to get the word out about things, for sure,” Bailey said. “We have so many programs going on and things to advertise, having a new sign with two sides will be a big help for sure.
“It’s so beneficial for us and the work we do, because a lot of the time we can’t just take money and advertise, so the sign really is a great benefit for our programs.”
Gulmick said, “It’s a beautiful sign, it’s great and we’re excited to have it.
“We’re going to keep it nice and safe this time, and put it up on Cove Road. We change the message on it quite regularly, we’ll be out there on a regular basis keeping an eye on it.”
