The new face of Parc & Mont-Royal

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by PHILIP PREVILLE

After three years, and after many protests by local residents and a couple of new project designs, the new Petro-Canada sign at the corner of Parc and Mont-Royal has finally been erected. And once again, the question arises: art, eyesore or both?

The new sign looks like a clock tower--though instead of counting the time, it chronicles the ever-rising cost of gas. With intricate brickwork and steel I-beams sticking out from its side, it definitely has artistic pretensions. But at four storeys in height, and with both the Petro-Can and A&W insignias lighting up the night, it makes Parc Ave. look more and more like some nondescript suburban artery.

"We did make an exception for this particular sign," says city economic development spokesperson Francois Lemay of the sign's girth. "This design was an architectural compromise. There was lots of controversy at the time, but everyone agreed on this proposal."

As for its artistic merits, well, the jury's still out. :

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