Stop of Interest Signs
Last updated on April 21, 2023
Between 2016 and 2019, twenty new Stop of Interest signs were installed while over fifty were replaced or refreshed.
British Columbia’s Stop of Interest signs each tell a story of a person, place or event significant to our provincial history. If you’ve travelled in B.C. or live close to a historic site, chances are that you have seen at least one of these signs.
Since they were first displayed on our provincial routes in 1958, visiting these signs has become a favourite summer vacation, passed down through generations.
History
The Stop of Interest signage program was introduced in 1958 as a British Columbia Centennial Project. Most of the signs erected at that time related to themes of settlement, industry or transportation within British Columbia. Since the start of the program, over 175 signs have been installed throughout all regions of the province, often associated with the celebration of national or provincial anniversaries.
Stop of Interest signs are recognizable stops that invite travellers to take time to reflect on the people, places and events that have helped to shape British Columbia’s history.
The signs have become iconic to generations of road travellers of citizens and visitors to British Columbia, and are considered heritage features in their own right, reflecting the history of travel and tourism in B.C.
2000s
2019
Four signs were installed.
2018
Eight signs were installed.
2017
Seven signs were installed.
2016
One sign was installed.
2008
Twelve signs were installed for the British Columbia sesquicentennial celebrations.
1900s
1995
Twenty-five signs were installed along Highway 3, and one on Vancouver Island, as part of a pilot project.
1971
Five signs were installed.
1970
Ten signs were installed.
1969
Eight signs were installed.
1967
Fifteen signs were installed, in commemoration of the Centenary of Canadian Confederation.
1966
Forty signs were installed, in commemoration of the centenary of the union of the Crown Colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
1958
Forty-nine signs were installed under a co-operative program between the British Columbia Centennial Committee and the Provincial Parks Branch.
- See a map of the B.C. Stop of Interest Signs
- Download the B.C. Stop of Interest datafile from DataBC
- Check back here and follow us on Twitter to learn what signs are selected to tell our stories.
Check out the B.C. Stop of Interest Signs photo gallery on Flickr.
Contact information
Contact us if you have questions about Stop of Interest signs.
250-356-1432
Heritage@gov.bc.ca