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Out with the old: Four new pillars going up in downtown Salmon Arm

Stone pillars removed to make way for more modern, functional design in same locations
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The last stone pillar scheduled to be taken down in Salmon Arm’s downtown was the one on the edge of the Ross Street Plaza, at the corner of Ross Street and Hudson Avenue. They are soon to be replaced with more modern signage. (Lachlan Labere-Salmon Arm Observer)

Salmon Arm’s downtown won’t be without pillars for long.

As many residents have seen, city work crews accompanied by a large truck and digging equipment have been busy digging up and removing the stone pillars which have graced a few locations around town for several years.

Lana Fitt and Caitlin Thompson with the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society (SAEDS) have been working on a plan, in concert with community partners, for new pillars. They will be funded by Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) dollars, also known as the hotel tax.

Care has been taken to preserve the photo plaques on the original project.

The new, improved, more modern pillars will be installed where the old ones were. All but one of the four will have benches around the four-sided design. The one that won’t will be at Shuswap and Hudson, as it sits in a traffic island of sorts.

Fitt said the pillars will be a nice tie-in to the new city parks signs and wayfinding signs. She expects installation will be taking place throughout the next two weeks.

The pillars will also “provide exciting new ways for visitors to engage with tourism attractions, maps, guides, resources and more,” reads an email from SAEDS. “We couldn’t be more excited to unveil the beautiful design and modern features of the pillars that will be unique to Salmon Arm.”

Added Fitt: “They will be a nice addition to downtown and another opportunity to highlight the ‘Small city, big ideas’ brand.”

Read more: Finding the way around Salmon Arm to get easier for visitors, maybe residents

Read more: ‘It’s a big deal’: Salmon Arm council excited to host RCMP Musical Ride on Canada Day



martha.wickett@saobserver.net
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City crews dig up one of the last stone pillars in downtown Salmon Arm at the corner of Alexander and Hudson on March 15, 2023 as they are soon to be replaced with more modern signage. (Martha Wickett-Salmon Arm Observer)


Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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