They say first impressions are everything, and that's something the City of White Rock is banking on as it moves forward with a program to see a gateway structure built at the entrance to the city.

Called the White Rock Gateway Design Competition, the initiative is a call for designers across Canada to put on their thinking caps and come up with a design that would be suitable as a welcoming structure for those headed into White Rock.

Coun. Larry Robinson, who also sits on the Public Advisory Committee, said the project would be something that announces White Rock to incoming residents and visitors, similar to the arch into Vancouver's Chinatown.

"The goal is to have a formal entranceway to White Rock that announces it as a community focused on the arts," he said. "The secondary aspect is to promote White Rock across Canada as an arts community."

The winning designer will receive $10,000 for their efforts, and will have their name forever attached to the design, which will be constructed at the intersection of Johnston Road and North Bluff Road with the possibility of it being reproduced at another entrance point to White Rock. The two runner-ups will also received $1,000.

"It's whatever the students or designers across Canada come up with. It could be two pillars, an archway, whatever they can come up with," said Robinson. "It will have to fit across the road and it will have to have some flexibility, because we're also eventually going to be looking to having one at the east and west side of White Rock."

Would-be designers have until April 8 to submit their designs, after which a jury of judges will choose the winner.

"It's a great chance for a design student, young designers to enter a contest that's no cost to them that has a potential of a $10,000 prize," said Robinson.

To learn more about the competition, as well as for rules and regulations, go to www. whiterockcity.ca.

cpoon@thenownewspaper.com

Twitter @questionchris