Ten years ago, back when people were still allowed to gather in droves, there was a very real fear the Winter Olympics in Vancouver would suffer due to the city鈥檚 mild climate.
Obviously we all know . But a decade ago, in that period leading up to the Games, Bob Gibson, co-founder of Contact Printing in North Vancouver, decided to use his soapbox to skewer the topic du jour.
While a look inside Gibson鈥檚 business would suggest a company offering a slew of commercial printing services, many might know it best for what lies outside: the sign at the corner of Forbes Avenue and West Second Street. For years, it's what he鈥檚 used to promote their work 鈥� and, more commonly, provide passersby with a good laugh. 听
鈥淲hen the Olympics were approaching, there was no snow on the mountains and everyone was quite concerned about how we鈥檙e going to pull it off. I think I put up there: OLYMPIC ATHLETES WELCOME, BRING YOUR OWN SNOW,鈥� says Gibson.
When the Games actually started, and the mood around town swayed from livid to lively, he quickly took the phrase down, notes Gibson. 鈥淚 think I got more in the spirit of just supporting the athletes,鈥� he says.
Much like This Is Spinal Tap or California's In-N-Out Burger, the sign that adorns the outside of Contact Printing is something of a cult favourite for North Shore residents. Everyone seems to have at least a passing memory of coming across one of Gibson鈥檚 five-line witticisms during the preceding three decades.
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SIGN LANGUAGE
Gibson started Contact Printing in 1981 alongside his father. The business involved 鈥� and still does 鈥� general commercial printing, which has evolved substantially over the years, says Gibson, now 63. Contact Printing does everything from promotional work for real estate agents and developers, corporate stationary such as business cards and letterheads, as well as instruction manuals and catalogues.
鈥淏asically, we do almost anything that people want us to do,鈥� says Gibson. 鈥淚 was a kid when we started this really. But we鈥檙e still here, technology hasn鈥檛 killed us; it鈥檚 trying.鈥�
Contact Printing moved to its current location along Forbes Avenue in the mid-1980s. It was five years later when Gibson started penning his iconic signs.
鈥淥ne of the early ones that was a combination of humour and promotion was: PRINTING IS A CONTACT SPORT,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 thought this is a little more special than 鈥楽tationery special for 99 bucks.鈥欌��
It evolved from there. Gibson got a kick out of coming up with the fun, irreverent signs every month 鈥� and when positive feedback from the community started, he knew he had to keep going with it.
鈥淚t kind of became a thing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f I had known it was going to become a thing, I probably should have documented it a little more.鈥�
But what does exist of Gibson鈥檚 sign work on social media, and from his own memory bank, is surely good stuff, the kind of chestnut that offers a passing motorist much-needed respite during their restless commute home.
There鈥檚 the classic WE鈥橰E PRINTING A BOOK ON ANTI-GRAVITY, IT鈥橲 IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN sign, as well as the cheeky AUTO CORRECT HAS BECOME MY WORST ENEMA one.
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A few years ago the sign read: ONE DAY CANADA WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD THEN YOU鈥橪L ALL BE SORRY. Gibson says he heard about that one a lot.
鈥淭hat one got a lot of reaction and I really got a kick out of reading the comments 鈥� you know what comments on Facebook are like,鈥� says Gibson. 鈥淥f course, it鈥檚 put up just as a lark, but some people take it very seriously.鈥�
And in between other classics 鈥� such as WENT TO BUY CAMOUFLAGE GEAR 鈥� COULDN鈥橳 FIND ANY and THIEF STEALS CALENDAR, GETS TWELVE MONTHS 鈥� is one of Gibson鈥檚 favourites.
鈥淚 think the one that probably got the most play in social media was: I WAS ADDICTED TO THE HOKEY POKEY BUT I TURNED MYSELF AROUND,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat got shared by Snoop Dogg.鈥�
MESSAGE BOARD
Like essentially every business during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Contact Printing has been forced to contend with our new economic reality.
鈥淲e鈥檙e like everyone else 鈥� we went from 100 miles an hour to crawling along,鈥� he says.
But, naturally, the pandemic hasn鈥檛 dampened Gibson鈥檚 spirits yet. In the era of physical distancing, the sign outside Contact Printing was recently changed to: NOW WE ARE: NO CONTACT PRINTING.
Over the years, Gibson says it鈥檚 at times been challenging to come up with the material and enthusiasm to keep going with the sign project 鈥� but he continues on because he always gets a thrill when people鈥檚 spirits in the community are buoyed, perhaps just for a passing second, by his signs.
But at least once during the 30 years he鈥檚 been doing it, the sign took on a sombre note.
Gibson and his wife Vera鈥檚 son was killed in a head-on collision, alongside his girlfriend, while driving in the South Okanagan on March 7, 2011.
Michael Gibson had been working at his father鈥檚 printing business for the past year when the fatal incident occurred.
鈥淗e was going to be my exit strategy, I think,鈥� quips Gibson. 鈥淗e was getting a kick out of it, and he had a great sense of humour as well. He had started taking over the sign program in those days.鈥�
As the lifelong North Vancouver family mourned the passing of their son, Gibson and his wife couldn鈥檛 help but notice the tragically prophetic message that Michael had scrawled on the Contact Printing sign mere weeks before his accident.
鈥淗e put the sign up totally upside down and it said, 鈥業f you can read this, you鈥檝e had an accident.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 that long after the fact that that was his fate,鈥� offers Gibson.
After Michael鈥檚 passing, his father responded with his own message. It was likely the first time in years the sign outside Contact Printing had been devoid of any humour.
It read: GOODBYE MICHAEL, YOU WILL BE FOREVER MISSED.
CONTACT HIGH CONTINUES
In the years following the tragedy, Gibson has looked at the iconic sign in a new light.
Noting that prior to his son鈥檚 passing he was too much of a glass half-empty kind of guy, he鈥檚 been living more for the moment, loving each and every day, and seeing the humour in things even more than before.
When he has a moment to spare, he still gets a kick out of coming up with new ideas for Contact Printing鈥檚 fan-favourite sign.
鈥淚鈥檓 really glad that people like it. We鈥檙e all too serious,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 really appreciate the reactions we get.鈥�
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He tells the tale of a woman named Karen who, after driving by the sign one day some years ago, decided unannounced to pop into Contact Printing and thank the creator of the charming sign for making her day.
Feeling particularly appreciative of Karen鈥檚 comments, Gibson had an idea. Just as she was leaving he ran down to the sign and quickly changed it to something more situation appropriate: THANKS FOR KAREN ABOUT OUR SIGN.
鈥淚t was corny,鈥� admits Gibson. 鈥淏ut I really hope she drove by and saw it.鈥�
