The world’s tallest gnome may soon have a new place to call home on the West Shore.
Galaxy Motors is looking into the possibility that the 26-foot statue called Howard will be a good fit for its new RV location in Langford, set to open at the end of the month.
“We’re ready to spend whatever it takes to to restore him, and pay to ship him down here,” says Phil Dagger, Galaxy Motors owner.
They’ve started a poll on their Facebook page asking the public if they think its tall on merit or short on sense, so far there is a lot of support for the idea.
Howard still stands on the same Nanoose Bay property where he was erected in 1998.
Built by Ron Hale using scraps of garbage and junk he had laying around his property, Howard served as a mascot for an amusement park. When that closed, he stood tall for a neighbouring gas station that the family owned.
But the current owners of the Chevron say they don’t want him and he’ll be torn down if he can’t be moved.
Hale’s granddaughter Bridget Matewish has been on a mission to find somewhere to put him.
“We want to find him a new home, somewhere people can still visit him, take photos with him. We don’t want to see him torn down and thrown out,” she writes.
Matewish had expressed a preference for keeping him in the same general area but says Howard is also in need of major repairs.
Phil Dagger at Galaxy Motors says he hasn’t heard back yet about his idea of bringing him to the South Island but he’s optimistic.
Dagger submitted plans for a building on the new Langford property this week, he says there is already a spot picked out for Howard .
Ben O'Hara
