Fresh look for a familiar face
Hi Neighbour Sam being refurbished
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This article was published 10/12/2021 (1366 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A familiar face is missing from Regent Avenue. But he should be back, and better than ever, before long.
On Dec. 5, crews from John Henry Creations set about removing Hi Neighbour Sam from his post just west of Plessis Road. Over the course of the winter, the iconic statue will be undergoing significant restoration work.
“He’s getting a complete overhaul,” said Ray Ulasy, chair of the Hi Neighbour Festival. “There’s some structural stuff, which is the main concern, as well as some aesthetic needs, paint, everything. His whole surface is in rough shape, there’s some rust coming through which has probably weakened the metal. If there’s things that need replacing, they’ll be replacing it.”
Created as the symbol of the Hi Neighbour Festival, the statue of Hi Neighbour Sam was erected in August 1968 in the parking lot at Crossroads Shopping Centre, on the southeast corner of Regent Avenue and Lagimodiere Boulevard. Nearly 20 years later, he moved east to the parking lot of Canadian Tire, where his look was switched up to match Canadian Tire’s black and red corporate colour scheme. In 2009, Sam got a fresh paint job, with green vest, white shirt and yellow slacks, and was moved to his current home, just west of Plessis Road on Regent Avenue West.
The Hi Neighbour Festival budgeted up to $23,000 for Sam’s makeover, using funds raised over the years, along with some help from a $6,000 community incentive grant.
“This is long overdue,” Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) said. “As you come into Older Transcona it’s something that guides you. Some of my best memories are Hi Neighbour Festival. People enjoy the festival and it brings people to Transcona.”
After his makeover, Sam is expected to be back in his old spot, welcoming visitors to the Park City by May 1, 2022, barring any unexpected developments.
“Just in time for the festival,” Ulasy said, adding he’s hopeful the Hi Neighbour Festival can return to Regent Avenue in 2022, after being cancelled owing to COVID-19 the past two Junes.
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
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Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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