Middlesex County Launches Updated Tourism Wayfinding Strategy
Middlesex County is proud to announce the completion of its 2026 Tourism Wayfinding Strategy, a forward-looking plan that will guide how visitors discover, navigate, and experience everything our communities have to offer.
Developed in collaboration with planning consultants Stempski Kelly Associates (pl.ural), and informed by extensive community engagement with municipal representatives and the public, this updated strategy builds on the foundation established in 2013, and takes it further.
What's in the Strategy?
The 2026 Strategy addresses some of the most pressing gaps and opportunities identified through surveys, stakeholder interviews, and site assessments conducted earlier this year. Key components include:
- A refreshed family of signs that brings visual consistency across gateway, directional, heritage, and tourism signage throughout the County. The new designs draw on Middlesex's rural character; rolling hills, farm fields, wind turbines, and the Thames River, to create a look that is distinctly ours.
- An updated signage hierarchy that streamlines sign types, removes redundancy, and ensures clarity for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. As part of this refresh, the existing Grassroutes route signage will be retired, as community feedback confirmed it lacked clarity and failed to adequately guide visitors.
- A renewed Tourism Signage Pay-to-Play Program that gives local businesses a clear, accessible pathway to directional signage along primary County routes. Updated eligibility criteria, application processes, and sign designs will make the program easier to navigate for both new and returning participants.
- A Heritage Trail Program framework that brings renewed life to the Middlesex Heritage Trail. The strategy recommends updated sign designs, improved placement, QR code integration, and stronger coordination between the County and local municipalities to promote and maintain the trail over the long term.
- A detailed implementation plan covering phasing, budgets, role assignments, maintenance schedules, and sign location guidelines, giving the County and its municipal partners a practical roadmap for bringing the strategy to life over the coming years.
What Comes Next
With the strategy now complete, Middlesex County will be moving forward with a Tourism Signage Policy update to align with the new framework. This updated policy will clarify roles and responsibilities, streamline the Pay-to-Play application process, and ensure businesses and municipalities have the guidance they need to participate effectively.
The policy update is expected to be brought forward to Council in the coming months. Once approved, it will set the stage for phased implementation of new signage across the County, starting with high-priority gateway signs and existing signs in need of replacement.
We look forward to sharing more updates as implementation gets underway. In the meantime, the full strategy is available to download below.
For more information about the Tourism Wayfinding Strategy or the Pay-to-Play Signage Program, contact the Economic Development and Tourism Department at Middlesex County.