SIGNS OF THE TIMES  

If you get a chance to drive or walk which is more interesting, through Vancouver's Chinatown you can't help but notice the bilingual street signs in English and Chinese. It certainly is more practical than making them in English and French, which would be the case if the federal government ran the city.

In a multicultural society what does this mean? Will we someday have other signs? I suggest yes, and I think it is a good idea. But, it will present problems. You know how city councils fight over various newspaper vending boxes around the city. Street signs can really cause a problem. The newest signs in the province are those posted at intersections on the Kamloops indian reserve. They say "STOP, EST'I'L (pronounced esteel) in the Shuswap language ... just their way of letting you know you are in Shuswap country. Designed by Shuswap elder Richard Seymour, the signs are an attempt to revive their language and culture. But many Kamloops residents think that "EST'I'L" means something in French. What is that telling us?

That other sign you see alongside this story is in Arabic. Not here yet, but with our increasingly mixed society, we had better get ready for more "alternative" signs. Maybe a "Christmas tree" of signs running to the sky. In some areas of Switzerland they already have signs in three or four languages!

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