Toronto sign will light up Nathan Phillips Square until at least November

Fans of the colourful Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square got some encouraging newsWednesday: the sign will be in place until at least November.

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City council's economic development committee voted Wednesday to ask staff to look into the cost andfeasibiityof maintaining the sign through the end of 2017, and report its findings to the committee on Oct. 24.

That means the sign's future won't be discussed by city council until November at the earliest.

Coun. Norm Kelly (Ward 40 Scarborough-Agincourt), who sits on the committee said the sign has become known all over the world and should be kept in place despite the roughly $100,000 annual cost of maintaining it.

"That sign has had an impact similar to the previous iconic statement of this city and that is the CN Tower," Kelly said. "When you see those two things, thatisToronto."

The committee voted to instructthe general manager of economic development to look into the costs of maintaining the sign through the end of 2017, do some "fine-tuning," in the words of chair Michael Thompson, and report back to the committee on Oct. 24.

They also want the general manager to advise on "the process for commissioning and developing a permanent TORONTO Sign to be located at Nathan Phillips Square;"

The committee voted to drop a suggestion that asecond, portable Toronto signwhich could tour the city, be researched.