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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Some people appear to be risking injury to scribble their names and/or graffiti on the new Welcome-to-the-NWT sign on Highway l.

This welcoming sign was erected in May at the NWT/Alberta border on Highway 1. - NNSL file photo

A few names are very close to the top of the sign, which is 4.8 metres high and elevated another 1.2 metres above a concrete base.

The only way for the writing to be so high is for people to have climbed the sign. Lloyd Jones, superintendent for the South Slave with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), said people who climb the sign are putting themselves at risk.

"We'll be looking at it now, since the graffiti is higher up, and seeing what we can do," he said.

However before that assessment, Jones is advising people not to climb the sign. The GNWT official is not aware of anyone falling from the structure and being injured.

The new sign, which was erected in May, is designed with some openings among the words. People climbing the sign may be using the openings as handholds and footholds.

Jones said ITI might have to put a warning sign near the welcome sign to advise people to stay off it or the department may also consider raising the sign higher.

"At the same time, you don't want to take away from the sign because it's something that's welcoming people to the Northwest Territories and there are a lot of people who take their pictures there," he said.

The new sign is elevated to try to discourage graffiti artists, something which was common on the lower sign it replaced.

Jones noted the new sign had some graffiti drawn on it over the summer, but it has a type of finish that allows graffiti to be easily wiped off with a solvent.

That work was done by a contractor who operates the 60th Parallel Territorial Park and Visitor Information Centre during the tourism season.

Jones said it is really hard to prevent graffiti.

"What we found is the key is to keep the sign clean and it minimizes additional graffiti," he said, adding any recent graffiti will be cleaned off.

The new sign, which cost about $150,000 to design, construct and install, replaced a sign which had stood for more than 30 years.

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