The City of Burnaby is officially celebrating the return of an iconic neon sign to its historic Heights neighbourhood.
The Eagle Ford sign flashed above the old Eagle Ford car dealership at Carleton Avenue and Hastings Street (present day Carleton Square at 4161 Hastings St.) between 1950 and 1985.
On Thursday, local residents are invited to mark its return at a community event from 6 to 7 p.m.
"The Burnaby Heights is one of most distinct neighbourhoods in all of Metro Vancouver, with longtime businesses, generations of families and iconic artwork and signage contributing to the neighbourhood’s character and charm," Mayor Mike Hurley said in a news release about the event. "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the community together again as we return the refurbished Eagle Ford neon sign to its original location."
When the Eagle Ford dealership closed in 1985, the sign became part of a private collection until the city acquired it in 2012.
It was kept in storage until city council voted in April to have it designated as a heritage landmark; restored to its former glory; and reinstalled in its original location, now a city-owned sidewalk.
Galaxie Signs was hired to do the restoration using traditional sign fabrication techniques to repaint the sign and bend neon tubes to recreate its original look, according to the release.
Vancouver-based neon sign historian John Atkin provided a conservation plan to guide the work, the release said.
Under an agreement with the the Heights Merchants Association, the city will be responsible for maintaining the sign and has awarded a maintenance contract at a fixed rate, five-year term to Galaxie Signs at a cost of $3,000 per year, according to a city report.
The association will pay for the electricity to operate the sign.
The city has a similar agreement with the association over the iconic Swinging Girl sign.
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