Tantramar’s colourful new brand was unveiled at town hall on Tuesday. Consultants Tanya Duffy of The Details Design and Branding and Tom Bateman of Porter O’Brien talked councillors through the process to arrive at, and concept behind the new logo and brand identity.

“The new Tantramar logo is a simple, clean and modern crest comprised of several parts coming together to form the complete symbol,” explained Duffy. “Each element showcases the natural beauty, history and complexity of the region. The new brand does not seek to replace the identities of the communities that combine to make Tantramar, but rather to leverage the natural surroundings identified by the residents that make Tantramar a wonderful place to live work and visit.”

Tantramar new brand design, with explanations of various elements. Image: TantramarNB social media

Duffy said the elements of the crest were inspired by what the consultants heard in surveys and in person sessions with Sackville residents. The elements include a sun (“it was something that came up again and again that the sunsets and sunrises are unlike anywhere else,” said Duffy), clear blue skies, a Mi’kmaq star (a “special request” from Amlamgog First Nation chief Rebecca Knockwood), reed grass, and a striped green section to represent agriculture and the Acadian dyke systems that define much of the region. The pieces are underpinned by a wave representing tides and waterways.

Tom Bateman told council that the survey and feedback from the community showed “a general preference for association with nature, wildlife, the outdoors. We also have lots of mention around appreciation for the region’s rural lifestyle, the importance of recreation, and athletics within the region,” said Bateman. He also noted “mention of the importance of environmentalism and climate action, the welcoming nature of the community to newcomers, and the importance of a logo that fosters economic success and business growth, and sets this new municipality off on a good foot.”

Samples of pole flags included as part of the Tantramar brand presentation on November 28, 2023. Image: Youtube screencap

Duffy showed a number of possible iterations of the logo, from street signage to tote bags to truck decals. Even an image of how it might appear on the side of the current Sackville Town Hall, renaming it Tantramar Town Hall. She also showed ways the logo could feature different community names from within the newly amalgamated municipality, which was popular with several councillors.

“I really liked the options you gave for British Settlement, Rockport, Wood Point,” said former Dorchester mayor Debbie Wiggins Colwell. “With this amalgamation it really feels more inclusive that you could have products with their names on it. It makes us feel like we’re included, and not lost.”

“I love how cohesive it is,” said Councillor Allison Butcher. “It’s still each of us, all together.”

Director of Corporate Services Kieran Miller was relieved after hearing the feedback from councillors. “It’s really been a long journey,” said Miller, “but I’m really happy with the final result. I’m glad that council seems to be happy with the final result.”

The rollout of the design will be staggered and strategic, says Miller, starting with digital images on social media and email. In their budget for this year, council set aside $70,000 to go towards a website redevelopment, which can now happen with the new branding in place.

Miller says she hopes things like decals on the municipal fleet and some signage on buildings can happen sooner rather than later. “And once the New Year hits, we’ll start planning some of our printed materials like the Visitor Guide,” said Miller.

The new Tantramar logo as it might appear on a town truck, part of a presentation by The Details Design and Branding, November 28, 2023. Image: Youtube screencap.

The brand design package includes a number of templates that the town is already making use of on social media, as well as design guidelines that can be used by any designer in future.

The branding project, including public consultations, cost the municipality about $60,000, not including HST. The town has requested that the province chip in $50,000 towards the project, as part of amalgamation expenses.

“There is a lot of cost with local governance reform and rolling out these new entities,” says Miller. “So definitely hoping for support from the province for that, and we’ve made that request. We did identify signage in our capital budget, because you know, that’s a very visual indicator for this new community. So we have allocated some of our own budget for that. But you know, we always hope for additional funding.”