Broken, iconic clock at city hall removed
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/03/2010 (5786 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
In a move with implications for chronically late politicians and public servants, someone at city hall has taken the time… to take the time.
A mechanical clock that’s faced the courtyard at city hall since 1974 has been removed from its perch on top of the administration building. The hands on the square clock stopped moving months ago, effectively ending the passage of time at city hall.
The clock was removed Feb. 20 and hauled to a city workshop on Plessis Road, where it will be studied.
"We’re not sure whether it will be replaced or repaired," said Pam Sveinson, a spokeswoman for the planning, property and development department.
A decision on the clock will depend on the cost of repairs or replacement, and the will of city councillors and senior public servants.
St. Norbert Coun. Justin Swandel mused he’d like to see an electronic message centre replace the clock. It could offer the time, temperature and information about city services, he said.
Point Douglas Coun. Mike Pagtakhan, however, said he wouldn’t mind seeing the clock return to its south-facing perch.
"That thing is like an icon," he said. "It was nice to look at. It was city hall’s Big Ben."
The square clock is a modernist nod to the domed clock tower that was a dominant feature of Winnipeg’s second city hall, a grand Victorian structure that stood on Main Street from 1886 until 1962.
If the square clock winds up being replaced by a message centre, Swandel said he does not want to see advertising up on the marquee.
Despite Winnipeg’s ongoing sponsorship program, city hall itself is not for sale, it would appear.
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca