More than four years after creating a new, more accurate-looking moose crossing sign, an Alberta woman’s design has been installed along a highway near Calgary.
The sign features a depiction of a moose with a shorter tail, less protruding chest, longer legs and a "proud" more "majestic" snout than the previous version, which graphic designer Chloe Chapdelaine found to be anatomically incorrect.
Chapdelaine redesigned the moose crossing sign when she was an 18-year-old student in Foremost, Alta. Bothered by the “sloppy” depiction of the iconic Canadian animal, she busted out a sharpie and drew a new one, sending it off to several different transportation departments and agencies with a light-hearted criticism about why the sign should be changed.
"I brought it up to my co-workers and I said: 'Hey, have you guys noticed the sign on the highway? What do you guys think?'" she told CTV National News. "They were all like: 'Oh my gosh. Is it even a moose? Does it look like a moose to you?'"
In early 2021, the artist received word from Transport Canada asking for the rights to use the image she created on new signs and in the agency's manual.
On Thursday, she helped install what is believed to be the first of the newly designed road signs.
“Just to see it in person, it doesn’t even feel like this is real life right now,” Chapdelaine laughed. “I could be a grandma, with my grandkids, literally saying: ‘Hey look! Chloe drew that!’”
Although road signs aren’t typically switched out until they fall into disrepair, when the contractor responsible for highway maintenance in the area found out about the change, they wanted to support the local connection.
Although Chapdelaine wasn't offered financial compensation for the design, she couldn't deny the legacy it would bring.
"It's such a Canadian, awesome legacy to have," she said. "I feel like I'll never do anything more Canadian than this."
- With files from Anthony Vasquez-Peddie
