MOOSE JAW — Collector Brad Wilson has acquired many interesting and odd items over the decades, including one item with connections to River Street’s glory days that he hopes can be restored.
Wilson, 54, was browsing on Facebook Marketplace several years ago when he discovered the neon sign that used to hang in front of the Bamboo Chop Suey Café, a popular hangout at 72 River Street West that closed in the late 1990s.
He contacted Doug Brentnell — the former owner of the café, a fellow collector, and someone who once lived on the same street as Wilson’s parents — and asked if he would sell the sign. Brentnell, who had saved the sign after the business was demolished around 2002, agreed.
With a chuckle, Wilson said he and a friend had attempted to “steal” the sign after the café had closed. They knew somebody should save it since it would likely end up in the dump. However, their attempt failed because it was big, heavy and difficult to remove.
“I grew up going to the Royal (Hotel) and the Brunny (Brunswick Hotel). I feel sad that River Street is no more considering there used to be 1,000 people most nights down there,” he remarked.
The two businessmen travelled to a storage yard on Ominica Street West, where Brentnell had kept the sign for more than 20 years. The neon billboard was in rough shape, but Wilson knew he could probably repair it.
“To me, it’s not just about the sign. You gotta have the story to go with the item because that’s what makes the item cool in my mind,” said Wilson. “It doesn’t matter what it is — where did it come from?”
The collector paid $1,800 for the neon sign, which he acknowledged “is crazy” but noted is normal in the collectibles’ world. Moreover, he heard that another collector had allegedly offered Brentnell $4,500 at one point.
Wilson is passionate about local history and has acquired many items with some connection to a former Moose Jaw business.
He expressed disappointment that the former Times-Herald newspaper neon sign wasn’t removed and given to the Western Development Museum after new owners took over the building. He had considered renting a crane but learned it would have been too expensive.
The collector has stored the café’s neon sign at his farm near Caronport but believes it should be in Moose Jaw. He is looking for input from residents about what to do with it.
He has already received plenty of positive responses on social media about the sign, with many people discussing their love of the café or recalling the times they visited River Street and wound up under the sign.
“Let’s be honest, the City of Moose Jaw, they like to rip everything down and get rid of history. I mean, River Street is gone,” Wilson said.
Wilson has examined the sign and believes one side should be kept in its original state and the other refurbished. While he’s unsure where it could hang, if there’s enough interest, he would like to see it suspended on River Street in its original spot — lit up one more time.
“I’m a little sentimental,” he remarked.
After restoring the sign, Wilson will see if the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery (MJMAG) or the Tunnels of Moose Jaw will accept it as a loan. He noted that the MJMAG has a painting of the sign on display.
“I’d like to preserve (the sign) for future generations,” he added. “It’s one of the few items still left that people can remember.”
