Where the streets have no name? Beer and High street signs disappear regularly

Charlottetown residents sure lovetheir high and beer signs.

It seems the street signs for Beer Street and High Street regularly go missing off their posts.

High Street is currently missing one sign. Beer Street's missing both, one off eachend of the street. If you ask residents on the street, they'll tell you, "It's always that way."

"There's no sign on the street. We always say that," said Beer Streetresident Jason Ramsay, when talking about how they give directions to their neighbourhood.

"Every year it just gets put up probably once a year, a couple of times a year and then it just goes missing within a week or two...I think it's pretty funny actually."

Tommy Smith lives on the corner, closest to one of theempty sign posts.

"It disappears at twoor three in the morning, mainly on weekends," said Smith, adding that once the entire post and signdissappearedwith the sign.

"It's been a problem for years."

Charlottetown reinforced signs

For several years the cityreinforcedthe signs by welding them onto the posts and adding extra cement.

"It reduced the instances of them being taken," said Paul Johnston, manager of public works for the city.

Recently city staff went back to the old wayof installing signs, hoping the problem was over. It wasn't. Since then signs have once again gone missing.

Johnston said thecity will again start reinforcing the signs, in hopes of deterring thieves.He also saidstolen street signs are not a widespread issue, just these two names in particular.

No one has ever been charged for the thefts.

Ramsay has a theory where they end up.

"Everyone loves a drink of beer I guess," said Ramsay

"If they hada bar at their house, put it over top of their bar, that sort of thing,Beer Street."

Residents put up their own signs

Some residents have decided to tackle the problem by including the street name on their house along with their civic number.

On Beer Street there are about half a dozen houses have made custom made signs.

Residents seem to be used to it and some say it's a bit easier now that many use their phones or GPS'

to find addresses.

"Really the only solution I can think of is just change the name of the street, but I don't know if they want to do that," said Ramsay.

The city said it has discussed renaming the streets, but doesn't feel it's an option as it would affect addresses, mail and 9-1-1 information.

"In the long run, replacing (the signs) one to two times a year is less costly," said Johnston.

Smith isn't too concerned about the signs anyway.

"It doesn't really affect anything," said Smith.

"If I see the city crews on the go I just say to them, our sign's gone again."