How the Sault is solving its snowflake problem

Wondering why it's July but snowflakes are flying on the Downtown Association's street banners?

You're not alone.

Readers have been posting on social media or contacting our newsroom to complain about the decidedly un-summery decorations.

"I was disgusted with this display considering tourists were coming into town on cruise ships and obviously visiting the downtown area," Katie Ringler told SooToday.

Ringler said she complained at the Downtown Association office on June 1 and was assured new banners would go up within 10 days.

She was distraught to see the snowflake banners still flying on Canada's 150th birthday.

"One would think that there would've been some preparation by this date for a change....why bother hanging up flowering planters?" Ringler asked.

In fact, Josh Ingram, general manager at the Downtown Association, tells SooToday that his board authorized $4,000 to replace the banners at its June meeting.

He says the new decorations are currently "in process" at SK Group Inc. and PUC is standing by to install them "any second now."

Instead of snowflakes, the new banners will feature four-letter words like "dine," "play" or "live."

Another four-letter word will be used, but Ingram couldn't remember what it was when we spoke with him today.

Each block will be marked by a different colour, coinciding to colours used on the street maps given to cruise ship visitors.

The old block numbers one through five will be retained, as well as the Heritage Square moniker.

The banners will have non-flaky icons.

For example, "dine" will be illustrated by a wine glass and "play" by a skateboard or musical instrument, Ingram said.