{"product_id":"ontario-m503-canada-road-sign-black-coffee-mug","title":"Ontario M503 (Canada) (Road Sign) Black Coffee Mug","description":"\u003ch1\u003eOntario M503 (Canada) (Road Sign) Black Coffee Mug\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis design takes its cue from a forgotten stretch of central Ontario road, shown as the trapezoidal sign that once marked it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eVisual Elements \u0026amp; Composition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA deep green field fills most of the design, with a white border framing it on all sides. At the centre sits an isosceles trapezoid, wider at the base than at the top, with the numeral \u003cstrong\u003e503\u003c\/strong\u003e set large and bold inside it. The layout is flat and minimalist: one shape, one number, and nothing competing for attention. The palette is limited to dark green, white and a touch of black, which keeps the sign crisp and easy to read at a glance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMeaning \u0026amp; Symbolism\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOntario Highway 503 was a secondary provincial highway, first designated in 1956, that linked Kirkfield to Tory Hill through communities including Sebright, Norland, Kinmount and Gooderham. Its length before decommissioning on January 1, 1998, was about 116.8 kilometres, or 72.5 miles. The trapezoid is the standard shape for secondary routes in Ontario's provincial network, so the sign tells a driver exactly what class of road they are on. Once the province handed the route to local municipalities and counties, its sections took on local names such as Kawartha Lakes Road 6 and Haliburton Road 503. The sign now stands for a route that exists mostly in memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReading the Sign in Your Hand\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mug is turned slowly between two palms, so the trapezoid and its numeral travel around the curve as you drink. The white border holds the shape together from every angle, and the bold 503 is always in view on the side you are looking at. It is a fitting companion for a morning road trip, or for anyone who still remembers the back roads that used to get them somewhere.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Go Mug Yourself","offers":[{"title":"11oz","offer_id":53184963871000,"sku":"GMY-MUG-NTRM-11OZ-85","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"15oz","offer_id":53184963903768,"sku":"GMY-MUG-NTRM-15OZ-35","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/5204\/4312\/files\/ontario-m503-canada-road-sign-black-coffee-mug-GMY-MUG-NTRM-11OZ-85-front.webp?v=1794208736","url":"https:\/\/gomugyourself.com\/products\/ontario-m503-canada-road-sign-black-coffee-mug","provider":"Go Mug Yourself","version":"1.0","type":"link"}