A year after city council announced its plan to replace the famous TORONTO sign, its letters were removed from Nathan Phillips Square Thursday.
"COVID-19 has delayed the sign's arrival, like it's delayed many things, but I'm glad that it will soon be here," Mayor John Tory said.
The new sign will be installed over the next few days, followed by an unveiling next week, with a promise the new letters will be more durable with enhanced lighting and actually waterproof.
The original sign built in 2015 was supposed to be temporary for the Pan Am Games, but soon became extremely popular for not just visitors, but residents as well.
However, after years of ongoing repairs, council eventually decided to replace it and the overall cost of the project is just over $760,000 in reserve funds.
Some of the sign will remain, including the Maple Leaf and the Indigenous medicine wheel.
"Nathan Phillips Square will look different because the TORONTO sign will be temporarily gone, but just days from now, we will unveil a great, new sign for everyone to enjoy and I think that's a very fitting thing to happen as we hopefully continue to emerge from what has been a very difficult period in the history of the city."
The new structure was designed by local company Unit 11 (selected by the city in December), which provides custom designs and supplies for the city's entertainty industry, such as TV and film.