For years, it stood at Ogden Point greeting cruise ship passengers from around the world. Now, one of Victoria’s forgotten waterfront landmarks is getting another chance to be seen again, and its champion is looking for a local golf course, business, or community space to take it in. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) has granted longtime Sidney town crier Kenny Podmore permission to help find a new home for the bronze Town Crier statue, which has remained in storage since being removed from the waterfront roughly a decade ago. While he does not yet have a preferred destination in mind, Podmore says he hopes the 10.5-foot monument remains somewhere in Greater Victoria where the public can continue to enjoy it. “I would like to work with potential people and have a look at locations together,” he said, noting that any relocation costs would need to be covered externally due to the immense size of the piece. “As long as we can keep it down here. I would not want it to disappear somewhere and never be seen again because it is a beautiful statue.” To Podmore, the statue has always represented one simple idea. “One word describes it, and that is welcome,” he said. “It welcomed people to Victoria coming off the cruise ships, but at the same time it kept the history of town crying in the public eye.” The statue, sculpted by Armando Barbon and unveiled in 2009, depicts famed Victoria A.M. Association town crier Tommy Mayne. A plaque attached to the monument also honours 12 Vancouver Island criers and three unofficial criers, including Podmore himself. Sitting on a base measuring roughly 3.5 feet by 3.5 feet, the statue – weighing roughly 750 pounds – became a popular stop for tourists visiting the capital city. “People literally from all over the world had their picture taken with it,” Podmore said. “The cruise ship passengers loved it.” Podmore first spoke publicly earlier this year after learning the statue remained in storage with no clear plan for its future. Now, the GVHA has agreed to let him spearhead the search for a new location. “I think it is wonderful on their part that they agreed to that,” Podmore said. “Hopefully now we have this opportunity to bring it out again.” Podmore also said he would gladly continue helping maintain the statue if it finds a new home, something he previously offered to do through Rotary before insurance concerns halted those efforts. The longtime town crier says the effort is about preserving a unique piece of local history rather than personal recognition. “This is not about Kenny Podmore,” he said. “It is about the history of town crying and keeping it in people’s minds.” RELATED: Once a welcome to Victoria, town crier statue now sits in limbo Sidney man proclaims himself out of retirement as ‘crier at large’
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