People will see the sign and regale their grandchildren with stories of the real Yonge Street, back when it was dog-eared and rock ‘n’ roll and important, damn it. Tourists love old neon signs, apparently: Garner points to popular collections in Vancouver, Edmonton and most notably Las Vegas, where you can tour the magnificent relics of defunct or re-imagined casinos. But signs are brilliant triggers for historical discussion, too, and they don’t have to be grandiose (or neon) to serve that purpose. Alas, not as many signs have popped up in warehouses and garages as Garner had hoped when the BIA reached out. I have long argued that signs and streetscapes should be front and centre in a proper, big-time Toronto history museum.

Source: National Post March 10, 2017 21:00 UTC