The Plateau-Mont-Royal borough in Montreal is taking steps to protect iconic and historic signs in the area.
A motion was presented on Monday at borough council to keep its rich heritage intact by safeguarding emblems that decorate nearly 70 restaurants and businesses.
“We have lost a lot already,” said Marie Plourde, the borough councillor who spearheaded the initiative. “We don’t want to lose more.”
READ MORE: Archambault sign returns to downtown Montreal
The move was inspired by the impending closure of J. Omer Roy, a jewellery and watch store on Mont-Royal Avenue. The large-scale Roy emblem hanging from the building’s facade has been there for nearly 60 years.
Owner Normand Roy is relieved to know that at least part of his family business will live on, even if his store is about to shutter. His grandfather and father would be proud to know the sign won’t disappear.
“It’s a landmark of the street,” he said. “It has been there for so long and the clock — everyone likes it.”
Plourde explained the borough didn’t want to lose a little sliver of the street’s history so it was important to file the motion as soon as possible.
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“We didn’t want to lose this one. It was an emergency,” she said.
For merchants like Daniel Shlafman from Fairmount Bagel, the decision is one that shows how much the community cares about its local institutions.
The family-run bagel bakery, which got its start in 1919, is considered an institution in Montreal. It celebrated its 100th anniversary this fall.
“To me, it just shows the city really appreciates our presence and what we’ve done and how long we’ve been here,” said Shlafman. “It means a lot.”
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This isn’t the first time iconic signs that line Montreal’s streets have been at the centre of preservation efforts.
The Archambault emblem was reinstalled on the facade of a building at the corner of Ste-Catherine and Berri streets in September after it was taken down in 2018.
The old Moe’s Diner sign, a little slice of culinary history, found a new home at Concordia University earlier this year. The mainstay closed its doors in 2015.
— With files from Global News’ Brayden Jagger Haines
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