Out on the camp roads and back concessions of West Nipissing, the end of the lane is where the ambulance, the fire truck, the propane delivery and your in-laws all have to find you. There are really two signs that can live there: the official 911 civic address sign from the Municipality, and, if you like, your own sign with the family name, the camp name or a bit of Northern Ontario personality. Here's how the two fit together, in plain language.
The official 911 sign: what it is
West Nipissing's civic addressing is set out in By-law 2015/42, which the Municipality describes as "a by-law to provide for the civic address numbering system of certain buildings and lots in the Municipality of West Nipissing to assist with the delivery of emergency and other services." It was amended by By-law 2024/34 (passed May 7, 2024), which added Farm 911 – Emily Numbers for farm field entrances and agricultural properties that wouldn't otherwise qualify for a civic address. Under that amendment, "Emily sign blades shall be Yellow with black numbering."
Read them on the Municipality's Signage (9-1-1 Signs & Civic Numbering System) page and the By-law 2024/34 amendment (PDF).
How to request a 911 sign in West Nipissing
- Get the form. Download the Request for 9-1-1 / Farm 9-1-1 Sign form (PDF), also listed on the Municipality's Forms and Applications page.
- Fill in your property details. The form asks for the owner's name, phone, mailing address, tax assessment roll number, the road your entrance meets, the legal description (concession, lot, part, plan, geographic township) and a building permit number if you have one.
- Put the driveway in first. In the form's words: "To determine a civic address, a distance measurement is taken to the centre of the driveway; therefore, the driveway MUST be in and should be marked." Attach a copy of your municipal entrance permit if applicable.
- Include the fee. The form lists "a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) to cover the cost of the supply and installation of civic addressing signage," which must be included with the application, plus a $25.00 fee for any cheque returned NSF.
- Farm 911 requests need a sketch showing the approximate location of the entrance in relation to the next closest civic address or intersection (a sample sketch is attached to the form).
The Municipal Office is at 225 Holditch Street, Suite 101, Sturgeon Falls. Always use the current form from the Municipality's site, since fees and forms can change.
Why your own sign goes beside it, not instead of it
The 911 sign is supplied and installed by the Municipality, which is what the fee on the form covers. Our signs are decorative. They're a nice way to put the family or camp name out at the road, but they are not an official 911 civic address sign and don't replace one. Leave the municipal sign where it is and clear of anything that could hide it, and put your own sign nearby where it doesn't block the view of the official one.
Placing your own sign so it reads from the road
- Keep the 911 sign in the clear. Mount yours to the side or set back so it never covers the official blade, and so it stays clear when the plow throws snow.
- Think about winter. Snowbanks along camp roads get high by February. Mount your sign high enough that it isn't buried, and on a post or gate that won't get clipped by the plow.
- Big, plain lettering reads best. A 24 in or 36 in sign with a short name or number reads far better from a moving truck than lots of small words.
- Post or gate? Our address sign guide walks through readability, size, contrast, mounting hardware and winter care in more detail.
Camp-road address sign designs
These are a few of our camp-road favourites, cut in metal right here in Sturgeon Falls. Each one can carry your road name, number or family name. See all of them under address signs.
Want one for the end of your lane?
Our metal signs are $59 (16 in), $79 (24 in) or $149 (36 in), plus $20 to customize with your name, road or number. Ordering as a Christmas gift? Custom sign orders for Christmas 2026 need to be in by December 15, 2026.
Start a custom order See address signsQuestions about a design? Drop by the shop at 179 Salter St., Sturgeon Falls, or call 705-896-4523. Questions about your 911 number belong with the Municipality of West Nipissing.
Locally made · Meaningfully yours.