It’s a sign of a friendly province. When driving around Manitoba, you will likely notice many “Welcome To” signs inviting you into each community. Some favour simple designs, while others use colour and humour to catch your attention. However, despite their difference, each sign contributes to the fabric of our province and helps to make a friendly Manitoba. A catalogue of signs One person who knows a thing or two about Manitoba’s “Welcome To” signs is Doug Klatt. It all started in the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was inspired to get out and explore Manitoba’s different roadside attractions. During one of these outings, he noticed a couple of “Welcome To” signs that caught his interest. From there, he began travelling to different communities to take pictures of their welcome signs, which he then catalogues on his website and YouTube called “Road Trip Around Manitoba.” To date, Klatt has visited hundreds of communities and documented 435 “Welcome To” signs. “Every community has a different way,” he explained. “I think a lot of communities have pride in their signs, whether it’s community members that are doing it or the mayors of the town. But a lot of signs are quite unique, so they stand out.” For Klatt, what interests him most about these signs is the designs. He said he enjoys the ones that are colourful, quirky and represent the community’s personality. “The signs they’re representations of the community, like they have little quirks, [they show] what the town does or where it came from and so forth.” The purpose Though some may drive right by “Welcome To” signs without really paying attention, their purpose comes from fostering community. Allison Dalke, Travel Manitoba’s content marketing team lead, explained that welcome signs are a way to invite people into different communities and encourage them to visit. She added that the signs help to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. “Those signs are all part of extending that friendly Manitoba welcome to visitors, whether they’re visiting from a different part of the province or a different province.” Klatt echoed these sentiments, saying that it’s a way to bring people into communities, including lesser-known small towns. He said he’s also noticed many communities upgrading their welcome signs to make them even more attractive to visitors. “They’ve replaced them. They’ve repainted and just made them look better and so forth…I guess you could call them advertising for the town.” Some special signs Through his travels, a few signs in particular have really stood out to Klatt. This includes Rennie, with a sign that says, “Welcome to Rennie: Home of something…or somebody famous…someday…maybe…” Klatt also enjoys Gladstone’s welcome sign, which includes a picture of a smiling rock, as well as La Broquerie’s with its sleek design. Other notable signs include Blumenort and Somerset, which both include florals and brick framing. There are also some animal-themed signs. Mariapolis’ sign features a fish jumping from the water, while Kleefeld’s has a smiling bee. A full look at all the signs Klatt has captured can be found online. Why travel around Manitoba For those interested in travelling around Manitoba and seeing these signs and other roadside attractions, Dalke said it’s a great way to visit new communities and learn about what makes Manitoba unique. She noted that every community has its own story to tell and together make up Friendly Manitoba. “I absolutely recommend driving around and checking out all these different roadside attractions,” she said. “They make for great memories as a family.”
