A new ‘Welcome to Thornhill’ sign will have carvings that tell its history based on information gathered by a late prominent Thornhill resident.
Les Watmough’s short online story about Tom Thornhill, after whom the community is named, and his wife, Eliza Wright, is being put onto the new sign, said Thornhill regional director Ted Ramsey.
“So the sign is going to replicate Thornhill history,” he said.
The image on the sign, to be carved by well-known local carver JJ Jung, will include a local photographer’s photo of Sleeping Beauty and ring bolts that are on the west side of the Skeena River where they were used to anchor riverboats, said Ramsey.
And the site of where the ring bolts are is where Tom Thornhill, a blacksmith who had working relationships with riverboats, lived, said Ramsey.
Hopefully the skyline will be represented on the sign as well plus the Skeena Riverboat itself and the ring bolts at the bottom of the base will be tied to ropes that stretch to the carving, he said.
“The story is already laid out for us and we’re just telling the story as history has already given it,” said Ramsey, adding that the goal is to have the sign put up by Christmas.
“I think it’s going to be marvellous and JJ is really good, I couldn’t think of a better combination,” he added.
