Belleville, ON – November 7, 2025 — The Belleville Chamber of Commerce is proud to unveil their new sign, a symbol of the longstanding collaboration between them and the City of Belleville and a testament to what can be achieved with local partners.

The Log Cabin has long been a recognizable landmark in Belleville. Originally transported from the Ottawa Valley to serve as the committee headquarters for Belleville’s Centennial Celebration in 1978 it was located across the river from City Hall.  When the celebrations concluded, it was designated as the Visitor & Information Services Centre and relocated to its current site at 5 Moira Street East with the help of numerous local businesses and service partners.  The Belleville Chamber of Commerce, established in 1864 has been actively involved with the promotion of the City for more than a century and have been grateful to call the Log Cabin Home since the early 1980s. In 2018, the Chamber redesigned their logo and in 2020, DiscoverBelleville was launched to connect an online audience to these services.  The original wooden sign was not only outdated but needed to be taken down for safety reasons in 2022. 

The catalyst to moving forward was when Loyalist College President Mark Kirkpatrick suggested working with their Welding & Fabrication Program for the fabrication of the sign’s frame.  This led to making the connection with Professor John Grieve and the class of 2024-25, who under his direction, designed and manufactured the steel frame for the new sign. Their craftsmanship reflects the real-world application of local training and the value of community partnerships. Graduates Ali Leavey and Turner Kelly were able to attend the unveiling and Kelly, who placed in the top 10 at this year’s Skills Ontario Competition, commented “it looks great and felt really good to work on a project like this.” Grieve also acknowledged the contributions of students Travis Alexander, Chukwuekwu Benson, Blayne Clifford, & Kurtis Vandesteeg.

The new steel sign is a modern update of the original blue wooden frame featuring the iconic “i” for information as the centre post.  The panels help create a vibrant identity with clean lines, enhanced visibility, and a welcoming aesthetic that aligns with both services.

Bryan Cribbett of Kool Koatings applied the blue Cerakote protective coating; Ian Wilson of TaskForce Engineering and Chris Anderson from the City of Belleville were instrumental to the installation of the foundation and sign frame and Melissa Haig, Allegra Belleville provided the resilient sign panels (that are easily replaced if further updates are required).

“This sign represents more than who we are in this space.  It embodies the diversity of skills and services available to our community and the value of supporting local.” said Jill Raycroft, CEO of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce.

Guests attending the ribbon cutting facilitated by Mayor Neil Ellis included Dug Stevenson, Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board, Michelle Lochan, Belleville IQ, Loyalist College President Mark Kirkpatrick, Dr. Amanda Baskwill, Senior Vice-President Academic and Chief Learning Officer, Belleville Chamber Board President Lisa Comerford and Directors Chris Auger, Cristina Cadavid, Abhi Surabhi and Dean Tindale along with family and friends of the students.