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A new highway sign for Upsala

Westbound drivers on Highway 17 are seeing a new gateway sign for Upsala which was installed earlier this month.

UPSALA -- People driving westbound on Highway 17 may have noticed something new in the past week and a half, that’s because a new gateway sign for the unincorporated township was installed earlier this month.

Cleo Wolsiffer, who sits on the volunteer-run tourism committee for Upsala which installed the signs, said the first sign was completed on Aug. 6. She said three more signs will be installed in the coming weeks depending on the weather, another gateway sign at the west end of the township line and two wayfinding signs promoting Upsala and Lacs des Mille Lacs that will be placed further down the highway in both directions. “It’s a slow process, but we’re making headway,” she said.

The installation has been hindered by the weather which has made the ground too wet for installation. “I’m praying for a drought,” Wolfsiffer said, adding it’s been dry this week so she will reach out to the contractor doing the installation.

Wolsiffer said the committee wanted to promote Upsala by increasing visibility to the area, “It’s going to attract people, because now, now they know there’s something here, rather than just driving by. Because before you just had the little green MTO sign that said just Upsala,” she said. “The hope is, with the signs, [Is that drivers will say],’there’s a town here, oh maybe I’ll slow down and see what’s here.’ And you know, it’s a start.”

Feedback on the sign so far has been absolutely fantastic, she said. “I have yet to hear a negative thing about it and everybody’s like: ‘wow it’s about time.’”

With Upsala having no elected officials, Wolsiffer said the community is run by volunteers and it was the tourism committee who were able to get this project done through a FedNor and Destination Northern Ontario grant. The funding also allows for a website and newsletter to help promote the area which also coincides with Upsala's 100th anniversary this year, said Wolsiffer.

“The volunteers and myself are so proud of the sign, it’s just beautiful. I can’t say enough about the artist who did the logo….Kudos to Ben [Johnson], he did that logo and it just captures everything about the whole community,” said Wolsiffer. She said the logo was originally designed in 1993 for a contest run by a now defunct local organization but shelved until the last few years.

Wolsiffer said more is planned for the fall to celebrate Upsala's centennial.




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