'A complete overhaul': Iconic Transcona statue taken down to get a facelift
A popular landmark that welcomes people into the Transcona neighbourhood is getting a complete restoration.
The 'Hi Neighbour Sam' statue that has stood in the neighbourhood for years, has been taken down from his perch on Regent Avenue.
Ray Ulasy, chair of Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival Inc., said Sam was removed on Sunday.
“He’s getting a complete overhaul, aesthetically and structurally as well,” Ulasy said.
John Henry Creations Inc. is leading the restoration of the statue, which has stood in Transcona for 53 years
Matthew Friesen with John Henry Creations said the statue is in need of significant repairs including fresh paint, repairs to the cane and hand, and some other structural repairs.
“We just need to smooth him out, give him a bit of a facelift,” Friesen said.
Ulasy said Sam will return to its perch in May, before the Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival, which occurs the first weekend of June.
The restoration will cost approximately $15,000, which includes sponsorships and donations from the community and a $6,000 grant from the City of Winnipeg.
Ulasy said Sam is an important part of Transcona and makes the community special.
“Sam captures what the spirit of the community is really all about,” Ulasy said. “Welcoming, inviting, and friendly, and I think Sam represents that. When you drive into Transcona, that’s the first thing you see, Sam on his perch, and he’s waving to the community.”
-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger and Kenneth Gabel
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.