On view November 1 - 3, 2019 during Lumiere Festival at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square

The Museum of Vancouver is excited to restore some of the classic neon signs that lit up Vancouver in the middle of the last century, made possible through a generous partnership with QuadReal. Three of these signs are on display at the Lumière festival before permanently lighting up public spaces at The Post, one of the most ambitious heritage redevelopment projects in Canada’s history taking shape at the site of the former Canada Post building in downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver was once home to an estimated 19,000 neon signs, second only to Las Vegas at the time. Vancouverites saw the glowing signs as glamourous and exciting while at the same time tawdry and garish, putting them at the centre of intense debates. City leaders clamoured to have them restricted or removed, which resulted in many of the legendary signs being left to rust in scrap heaps. Some of these signs have since been rescued and found their way into the collection at the Museum of Vancouver.

The restored neon signs are on display from November 1 – 3 at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, formerly the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery, during Lumière. Signs will move to The Post for final installation as the project nears completion in late 2022.