2023-08-17 19:07:09
Neon signs are slowly disappearing from the urban landscape in favor of technologies that are less complex to install. This rarity gives an additional cachet to the few businesses that still use neon lights to display their brand image. But for how long will they resist?
It seems far away, the era of Red Light, when the storefronts of Saint-Laurent Boulevard were illuminated by countless neon lights. Today, the expertise for this technology is being lost. The arrival of LED technology, which consumes less energy and is more practical, has dealt the final blow to neon tubes.
The Chez Ben canteen, a real institution in Granby, is struggling to find someone who wants to take care of the work on its mythical neon sign, which represents a man stuffing himself with junk food with the inscription: “Chez Ben, on get rid of the belly”.
“The guy has been there since 1974. I was born and he was there. So there is an attachment. We know it can’t last ad vitam aeternam. That one day, we will have to switch to LED. But we try to delay this moment as much as possible, because it doesn’t have the same prestige. Our entire brand image — the decoration, the uniforms, the logo — is vintage, and we don’t want to lose that,” explains Jimmy Dubé, co-owner of this family restaurant.
Lots of reactions
The huge sign in front of the restaurant needs to be repainted. This operation requires removing neon lights and then reinstalling them once the paint has dried. However, no one raised their hand, despite the trade’s active searches.
Thursday morning, Jimmy Dubé therefore turned to Facebook to find someone who has this expertise. “After several weeks of research [infructueuses], We need you ! Our dear Ben is getting tired and needs a little love. The problem is that there doesn’t seem to be anyone in Quebec anymore who repairs the signs [au néon] “, might we read on the snack page.
The post quickly went viral. In Granby, the Chez Ben brand is part of the kitsch heritage, just like the Orange Julep in Montreal. “With all the messages I have received since this morning, I imagine that I will find someone,” rejoices Jimmy Dubé, overwhelmed by the extent of his publication.
Not suitable for Quebec
So there is hope for “Ben la bédaine”. But everywhere, neon signs are in poor condition. Some letters no longer light up and are not replaced. For lack of manpower, some end up turning to LED technology, which offers a smoother, more industrial luminosity.
“The decline began in the 1980s and the arrival of LED [DEL en français] 10-15 years ago was the fatal blow. The main cause of that is the temperature in Quebec. Neon lights do not stand up well to snow, ice, rain… The world has therefore replaced neon signs with signs that are less attractive, but more durable,” says François Bergeron, owner of Claude Enseignes, in Quebec.
In the field for 41 years, he predicts the end of neon signs in 10 or 20 years. Not only are neon glassblowers becoming scarce, but supplies are becoming more expensive and need to be imported from the United States.
“There is no more succession”
Against all odds, Michel Di Blasio continued to specialize in neon. The owner of La Fabrique du Néon, in Saint-Eustache, mainly counts artists among his clients; he estimates that retail brands only represent 5% of his activities.
For the time being, its business is doing quite well, as almost all of its competitors have switched to LED technology only. But Michel Di Blasio can’t help but be pessimistic regarding the future either. “When I started, 35 years ago, we came to replace those who were retiring. But today, there is no more relief. Me, when I retire, there will be no one to replace me,” he laments.
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