French River Trading Post owners frustrated by lack of MTO signs

Tourism groups frustrated over the lack of signage Some tourism operators in the French River area are frustrated after roadwork forced the removal of their roadside signs.

Owners of the French River Trading Post say they’re disappointed with the Ministry of Transportation because of the lack of signs on the new Highway 69 that indicate where businesses are located.

The French River Trading Post has been in business for 66 years, but with recent roadwork done by the MTO, many provincial signs that direct people to tourist spots have been taken down.

Co-owner Tracey Biggs said directional signs should have been in place by now.

“We really should have had some recognition leading into it," Biggs said.

"They’ve been working on this for 20 years and we feel that things should have been put in place before now and we’re down to the wire and it’s the beginning of our busy season and we don’t have any signage.”

She said they have their own signs ready to go up, but there are delays from MTO in getting them in place.

The ministry told them signs won't be installed for another four weeks, too late to take advantage of the May long weekend, when tourists take to the roadways.

Biggs said they're not the only ones affected.

“Hartley Bay House has been in business for over 66 years and they’re completely being overlooked at this intersection,” she said.

“We were told that the blue tourism signs that need to go up won’t be until the end of June. Miraculously, one has shown up and appeared in the last few days, but our billboards that we have are not able to go up for probably another four weeks and that puts us well after the May long weekend."

This will be the first relatively normal season for the French River Trading Post since the pandemic hit in 2020. The last thing they needed was another problem, Biggs said.

“We have been locked down the last two years in April and May and we are able to be open this year but now we are faced with this obstacle but we are going to persevere,” she said.

The business wants customers to know that they are open and hope the new signs will be up soon.