Sam the Record Man dies; fate of famous signs unclear

by all | 9 October 2012 12:50 pm

Sam Sniderman—who founded Canada’s Sam the Record Man retail chain, widely remembered for its flagship store’s giant neon signs—passed away in his sleep on September 23, at the age of 92.

Sniderman’s music stores were once active across Canada, but today only one location remains, a franchise in Quinte Mall in Belleville, Ont. The flagship store on Toronto’s Yonge Street north of Dundas Street closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2008 to make way for a new Ryerson University student learning centre. Its two ‘spinning record’ signs were carefully dismantled and stored by Gregory Signs & Engraving in Vaughan, Ont.

Ryerson’s building has been designed and is now under construction, but no plans have been revealed yet as to how it will meet its legal obligation to display the heritage-protected signs. Despite Ryerson’s contract with the city of Toronto, communications director Bruce Piercey suggests an alternate route may be taken.

“We will provide some alternatives to restoring and reinstalling the sign,” he told CTV News.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/sam-the-record-man-dies-fate-of-famous-signs-unclear/

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