The History of Peninsula Signs

BruceBruce Nunn – Sign Painter and Company Founder
Now retired, Bruce Nunn has spent his entire life in the sign business.

He grew up by Shoal Harbour, now a bustling waterfront, home to Van Isle Marina and Philbrooks Boatyard. From an early age, Bruce had artistic talent and always excelled at more creative pursuits than academics at school. “I liked art in school better than algebra, because it was easier,” he says. By the time he was a teenager, local fishermen learned of Bruce’s talent, and at 15 years of age Bruce was painting names on boats for pocket money.

He apprenticed in Signpainting at what was then BC Vocational School, now BCIT, in Burnaby during 1960 to 1961 school year at the age of 20. There were 20 kids in the class, and they were promised job placement once they finished the program. That didn’t happen, there were no jobs! Bruce returned home and drove up and down the island, trying to find a sign shop to take on a young apprentice, to no avail. Times were hard, and he eventually had to take on other work.

Not to be dissuaded, Bruce travelled to Montreal, where his brother was living. There he walked the streets and scoured the phone book for 3 weeks, trying to find work in the sign trade. He lived in a rooming house which cost him $55 per month, with a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. This type of lodging was referred to as a “Hollywood Suite”.

A shop called The Sign Centre took a chance on young Bruce, and he finally got a job for $1.00 per hour after pestering them three or four times. The shop was just starting out, and had two partners – a paper banner specialist and a business man. They brought Bruce in as general help. As soon as Bruce got a brush in his hand, they exclaimed “oh! You CAN paint!”

At The Sign Center, Bruce learned the art of screenprinting – formerly the standard way to produce signs of a single layout in volume. One memorable job was 1000 Certificate cards – with 10 colours!

At such a low wage, working long hours was the only way to survive. He often worked 6 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day. Bruce stayed for 5 years at The Sign Center as it grew, except during Expo ’67 when he worked at the German Pavilion. He remembers the almost chaotic busyness of the World’s Fair. He’d set up a ladder to paint some lettering, go back to the bench to get the paint, and when he returned, the ladder would be gone! Either someone needed it, or was simply tidying up. He also remembered real armed guards at the Cuban pavilion, due to the Missile Crisis.

In Montreal, he met his wife. Five months later, they married, and a few weeks after that they moved back to Sidney. His first job was at Pacific Neon, where he learned gold leaf. Charlie Howorth took care of silkscreeening and showcards. Cliff Vickery specialized in neon signs and plastic backlit, Ralf Master took care of commercial work. Ralph soon opened his own shop – Master Signs -and eventually sold it to Bruce and a partner Roy Blackmore, another amazing showcard artist. They were partners for 5 years, until Roy bought Bruce out.

Bruce opened Peninsula Signs in 1980, and the day he opened people and workers from the Town of Sidney came in saying how glad they were that there was finally a sign shop in Sidney.

There are few companies on the Saanich Peninsula, that haven’t had or still have one of Bruce’s well designed building signs. From Sidney to Montreal and back again, his experience, knowledge, skill and good nature is unmatched in this industry.

And his legacy lives on; our designers still abide by what we call Bruce Nunn’s 10 Commandments of Sign Design

  • A sign should be pleasing to look at but must be functional
  • A sign without a border is like a picture without a frame
  • The border line should be no wider than the thinnest stroke
  • 3 colours maximum, plus background (but there are exceptions)
  • 3 fonts maximum (but there are exceptions)
  • Shadows should only be slightly darker or lighter than the background colour
  • Emphasize main points, minimize the rest.
  • A sign is like furnishing a room; the space you leave is as important as the space you use
  • Remember – contrast, balance, harmony, no repetition!
  • Contrast in colours AND weight in fonts and elements