Winnipeg’s ghost signs tell the story of a different era

They once played a pivotal role in Winnipeg advertising; but these days, ghost signs are relegated to the background.

More than a century ago, the signs — which are hand painted ads scrawled onto buildings — went up across the world.

As the years passed, advertising changed, and with that change came the disappearance of the ghost signs. Many cities painted over the signs or knocked down buildings they were once on.

But in Winnipeg, ghost signs never left.

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The city has one of the most concentrated collections of signs in North America, with most of the ads located in the Exchange District. They advertise everything from Pepsi, to grocery stores, to canned ham.

“You’re able to walk twenty city blocks and see hundreds of these things over a ten minute walk,” ghost sign-enthusiast Matt Cohen said. “In 1997, the area became a National Historic Site of Canada and they have heritage distinction.

“They’re called a character-defining element of the building, which means you can’t paint over them or cover them up in any way.”

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In 2018, they’re tracked in cities across the United States and in Canada. Many places, including multiple towns in England and Australia, are even touching up the paint to make sure the signs last longer.

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In Winnipeg, the weather means that the signs are slowly fading. One day — Cohen guesses within the next century — they won’t be visible at all.

“It’s cool to think they may not be here one day,” Cohen said. “At some point they won’t be here and we’re one of maybe a few hundred people that will notice.”