Everyone knows our famous TORONTO sign in Nathan Phillips Square, but how often have we taken a really close look at it? I hadn’t, until now. The current “wrap” (as these designs are called) has been in place since September of 2022; I’ve seen it so many times it’s burned into my memory, and I’ve taken the sign for granted without really looking closely at it.

I just learned that the City of Toronto will soon be removing the wrap and replacing it with a special FIFA World Cup 2026 display, so I thought I’d better grab a few close-up shots before the current wrap disappears forever. On close inspection the wrap reveals some very beautiful artwork.

Our iconic TORONTO sign was originally created for the 2015 Pan American Games as a temporary attraction meant to be dismantled in November 2016, but the City of Toronto decided to continue to operate the sign after it became popular with tourists and residents. A 3D leaf structure was added to the sign in 2017 to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.

The current vinyl wrap is an artwork entitled Rekindle, designed by artist Joseph Sagaj in recognition of UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022 to 2032). Joseph Sagaj is Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) of the Sturgeon Clan, from the remote community of Neskantaga, approximately 500 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

This 3D Medicine Wheel was installed on June 18, 2018 in honour of Indigenous Peoples and timed to elevate awareness of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 of that year. The Medicine Wheel symbol was chosen as it is an emblem of North American Indigenous cultural values, tradition and spirituality. Its four directions (East, South, West and North) symbolize completeness, wholeness, connectedness and strength.

A Few Fun Facts About the TORONTO Sign*

  • Each letter can be moved and placed on its own
  • Each letter is 3 m (10 ft) tall and rests on a weighted plinth (base)
  • The full word is 22 m (74 ft) long
  • The weight of the whole sign is 9,207 kg (20,300 lbs)
  • Each letter weighs approximately 136 kg (300 lbs)
  • Each letter plinth (base) weighs approximately 1,180 kg (2,600 lbs)
  • Each letter is equipped with LED lights and can transition to approximately 228 million different colours
  • The Sign contains approximately 396 m (1,300 ft) of LED lights
  • The letters are constructed with a steel frame, aluminum cladding and a translucent polycarbonate front and back
  • The colourful sides are covered in a changeable vinyl wrap, so the letters can be re-skinned with different designs

*Courtesy of the City of Toronto’s Toronto Sign web page