Mattawa seeks new creative vision to represent the town

The Town of Mattawa is looking to update its image, with plans for a new logo, a redesigned website, and an updated look to present to the world. The town released a call for proposals at the end of March and expect to see new designs roll in by the deadline of April 19.

Any company can apply, and a full outline of the project’s requirements can be found on the town’s website.

“We are overdue for a refresh,” explained Renee Paquette, Mattawa’s recreation and facilities manager, and as the community reawakens after two years of Covid restrictions, she figured this was a great time to do so. The town recently undertook a similar project for Voyageur Days, and now that festival has a new logo and website, too.

See: Voyageur Days returns this July with ‘something for everyone’

Paquette detailed how a committee was formed about six months ago to start the ball rolling on the rebranding project. “We went to the community,” she emphasized. “We had to find out what they thought about what Mattawa is,” what the town means to the residents.

The committee conducted a survey, and a few hundred people responded. This was not your usual survey, and Paquette said she had some fun with it. One of the questions was “what colours would Mattawa be?” and “burgundy, green, and yellow really stood out” in the answers, she said.

And although “Mattawa is beautiful in all seasons,” Paquette noticed most respondents highlighted the fall and summer in their responses.

“We even asked some fun questions like if Mattawa was a band, what kind of band would we be?” Paquette said, noting that these answers will help the graphic designers create looks that represent the overall feelings of the community.

The current logo is over 20 years old, Paquette said, and it’s time “to represent what the community is now,” and she’s excited to see what new designs come in after “the creative minds do what they do.”

Of course, council will have the final say on the design, but Paquette is eager to see how designers present the community, given the information they have received from residents.

As for the new website, the goal is to make it easier to navigate and highlight more tourist friendly information, such as where to stay, ideas for recreation activities, or where to get a tasty burger. It will be “accessible to all,” she said, and “mobile friendly.”

“Things are changing, and we have to progress with the times.” The plan is to make the website “as user friendly as possible.”

As for what type of band Mattawa would be, “country and rock are what stood out.”

David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.