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By DON MACPHERSON
macpherson.don@dailygleaner.com

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People are confused and curious about new signage featuring a fiddlehead that's appeared in and around Fredericton, the tourism minister said, but they'll soon discover it's a part of new branding for the province's scenic drives.

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Tourism and Parks Minister Stuart Jamieson recently unveiled new symbols that will appear on scenic-drive road signage across the province. The fiddlehead signs, marking the River Valley Scenic Drive, have already begun to appear in and around the capital region.

Tourism and Parks Minister Stuart Jamieson unveiled the new symbols and signage for New Brunswick's five scenic drives in October.

The Daily Gleaner readers have been calling the newspaper asking what the new signs are about, and the government's seen its fair share of inquiries about them as well.

"We've had a few people ask what they are," Jamieson said Tuesday.

Many have asked what the new signs are, he said, but the fact is that they're not new, just replacements.

The fiddlehead signs are replacing the old River Valley Scenic Drive signs and they still represent the River Valley route.

Jamieson said the province is in the process of rebranding the scenic drives, and an important part of the project was developing new signage.

There are almost 2,500 scenic drive signs throughout the province. All will be replaced, and each sign will be larger, with its own colour.

The new symbols and colours are as follows:

* the River Valley Scenic Drive: a fiddlehead on a green background;

* the Acadian Coastal Drive: a sea star on a red background;

* the Appalachian Range Route: mountains on a brown background;

* the Fundy Coastal Drive: a lighthouse on a blue background;

* and the Miramichi River Route: a salmon on a violet background.

The process of replacing the old signage with the new symbols has begun.

All signs will be completely changed by the end of March.

"They stand out a lot better," the minister said.

A bigger marketing push to inform visitors and New Brunswickers alike about the change will come in the 2009 tourism season, Jamieson said.

The tourism department's vacation planner, travel map and consumer website will be updated to incorporate the new symbols and colours for the 2009 tourism season.

Jamieson said the 2009 tourism guide will revolve around the scenic drives and the new symbols.

Fredericton Tourism manager Dave Seabrook said he welcomes the new branding and signage but warns that they'll be for nought if the province doesn't back them up with a strong marketing push.

"The scenic drive needs to be supported in a very robust way," he said Tuesday.

Marketing efforts have to go beyond the usual tourism-guide and website updates.

"There needs to be a gateway strategy," Seabrook said.

He wants to see major signage where motorists enter the province and people access the main highways, informing them about the drives and to watch out for the new symbols, he said.

The province has taken a strong first step in support of the scenic drives, Seabrook said, but it needs to continue with that support, especially financially.