This project was special to me as it’s just down the road from where I live and I go there often. Hope Bay is a heritage building which was one of the original docks and stores on Pender Island that mostly burned down and was rebuilt by a local community collective. This beautiful sea side location at the head of Hope Bay is now a thriving community hub with many businesses, restaurant, gallery, chocolate shop, and more.
One of my goals with this new sign was to pay some homeage to the original sign design which had the raised rolling curve above the lettering, and also a similar traditional font and layout. The sign is large with the roof being almost 10′ across and almost as tall, constructed entirely from salvaged old growth red cedar driftwood split by hand with mortise and tenon joinery. The main sign body and framing I sanded smooth, leaving the natural undulations in the wood. The roof is hand split cedar shakes, which will help protect the sign from years of rain. The sign posts are mounted on metal post saddles set in cement to keep it solid in place but also keep the wood up off the ground extending the life of the wood. The sign is finished with 2 coats of OSMO exterior oil finish. I use a clear oil finish to show the true colours of the cedar, but this does mean it needs to be recoated every few years as it is in a pretty sunny spot as well. Thanks again to Sherry and Sam for another great local project.
