The Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square got a makeover that includes 150 six-word stories, which was unveiled alongside the Invictus Games.J.P. MOCZULSKI
Six-word stories penned by Toronto residents have been published all over the city's most-selfied sign.
The makeover, unveiled this week alongside the Invictus Games, is part of Toronto's Canada 150 celebrations. The 150 stories on the sign were selected from more than 4,200 submissions. Some are funny ("Toronto racoons are smarter than you"), some serendipitous, ("Missed my bus. Fell in love.") and all written with Toronto in mind ("From schnitzel to samosa-one token").
Many of the stories are in various languages or speak to the diversity of the city's population ("Toronto welcomes everyone from any place"), telling tales of immigration and the search for home ("Single mother atheist immigrant finally free").
The stories were submitted as part of My City My Six, a Canada 150 celebration that requested Torontonians share something about themselves to celebrate Canada's birthday. The winning submissions, which will stay on the sign until spring 2018, were chosen by a jury of artists, writers and academics, including Toronto's Poet Laureate Anne Michaels.
The hashtag #MyCityMySix is displayed on the base of the sign. The tag has been used on Instagram more than 200 times. On Friday, as workers set up a tennis court for the Games, dozens of people stopped to take in the revamped sign. The words, "I AM" – part of the Invictus motto – were installed directly above the Toronto sign for the event.
"It's a sign that represents Toronto," said Amy Du, of Mississauga, before taking her own shot of the sign that was first installed in 2015.