Municipal officials have recognized the two contractors who helped restore the clock in the city hall tower, with work including removing nearly 100 panes of glass and giving the upper room a thorough cleaning.
At the start of its Nov. 27 regular meeting, city council presented gift bags to Murray Rimmer and John Trodd for helping refurbish the 109-year-old time-telling device. They began the restoration process in April and focused on removing 96 pieces of glass, which were then used to create templates for the new glass inserts.
A ballistic film now coats the new pieces to protect them from birds and weather that could bring high wind, heavy rain or hail.
Other work that the men completed included giving the clock tower a deep clean, repainting the clock faces, and sanding and painting the clock numbers.
They finished the project at the end of September.
Coun. Crystal Froese commended Trodd and Rimmer for doing an “incredible” and “extraordinary” job in restoring the clock, noting they performed intricate work and possessed the expertise that few people have.
“They’re one of a kind,” she stated.
The heritage advisory committee recommended to council that restoration work be performed on the tower’s clock because it was showing its age, she continued. In particular, the four glass faces were in disrepair and became a safety issue since the glass was falling out.
“We want to continue with restoration and have the actual bell in the tower operating. But we couldn’t actually ring the bell up there without the glass being completely restored,” Froese said.
Froese added that it was fascinating to watch both men work while standing on the street below. Many times, the contractors were hanging out the windows of the clock face, making the necessary repairs.
According to the city, the clock is affectionately known as “Big Cliff” in honour of former maintenance employee Cliff Simpson, the clock’s caretaker from 1971 to 1993. Although he died in 2012, his family was able to tour the clock tower and see the renovations on Oct. 20, which was the birthday of “Big Cliff.”
The clock mechanism and gears are still era-specific, which means city staff must hand-wind the turret every 14 days. The city restored the gears in 2014, which was also the year when the clock turned 100 years old.
City hall has resumed accepting submissions for themed lighting of the clock tower. To make a lighting request, residents should email the mayor’s office at [email protected] a minimum of 30 days before the requested date.
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