Barone with Sam, August 12, 1968, Winnipeg Free PressTranscona's Hi Neighbour Festival commissioned 11-foot-tall Sam in the summer of 1968 to be their official mascot. He was designed by Roger Tychonick and created by Giorgio (George) Barone.
Barone was used to working on projects of this scale. He had already created numerous statues for towns around the province using his technique of injecting 'vibrofoam', (a synthetic, air filled foam), into a mold. Once hardened, it was covered in multiple layers of fibreglass cloth then topped off with numerous coats of resin.
November 22, 1966, Winnipeg Free Press
Sam was unveiled on August 11, 1968 in the parking lot of the Crossroads Shopping Centre at the south-east corner of Highway 59 (Lagimodiére Boulevard) and Regent Avenue. Opened in late November 1966, the 17-acre, $3 million mall was the Greater Winnipeg region's shopping mecca of its day.
Among its 20 stores it boasted a 128,400 square feet Woolco, more than double the size of other Winnipeg Woolco. Its Safeway was the largest food store in Manitoba at 34,000 square feet, (for comparison, the Madison Square Safeway today is 52,000 square feet.)
Sam stood tall at this intersection for nearly two decades before being moved to make way for a Chi Chi's Restaurant built in the Crosstown parking lot. His new home was further east on Regent in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store. His barber shop quartet outfit consisting of a green and yellow vest and dickie-bow tie was painted over to give him a Canadian Tire uniform.
In 1987, after nearly 20 years facing the elements and numerous vandalism attacks - most involving the theft of his cane, it was time for Sam to receive some TLC. "He's had kind of a rough life", Pat Louchuk, then head of the Hi Neighbour Festival, told the Winnipeg Free Press in 1987 at the start of the fundraising drive for his refurbishment.
When Sam emerges from his repairs he will reappear a kilometre further down Regent Avenue .
The committee needs financial help. Any of you proud Transconians wanting to contribute, check out the Lance article for details or contact the Hi Neighbour Festival.
UPDATE: Sam was moved in November 2009 to his new home on the boulevard of Regent Avenue near Chrisland Street. His refurbishment included a new paint job that returned his outfit to something close to his original attire, though his often stolen cane appears not to have been replaced.
Related:
George Barone: Thinking big on the prairie West End Dumplings
Hi Neighbour Sam says hi to new neighbours Canstar, Nov 19, 2009
Hi Neighbour Sam Moves Winnipeg Sun, Oct 9, 2009
4 comments:
I enjoyed this trip down memory lane! I have only a few distant memories of life in the late '70s, but seeing "Sam" on family shopping trips to Safeway is one of them. Throwing a penny into the fountain at Crossroads is another one.
Had "Sam" remained at his original site, they would have had to put very dark sunglasses on him to represent the escalating garishness of the area. The intersection of Regent and Lagimodiere never was kind to the eyes, but things have been getting out of hand in recent years...
Yes, I think his new home will be a little more fitting. He used to dominate the old intersection but now that street is so wide you barely notice him !
That thing has a name?
Back in the 70"s we had a real life "Sam" by the name of Mr. Jackson, who has since passed away. As the head of the Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival for several years it was my pleasure knowing both Sam the Statue and the real Sam (Mr. Jackson) and his family. Thanks also to the Transcona Jaycees for helping me put the Transcona Hi Neighbor Festival back on the map in the early 70"s
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