Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival

The first Transcona Hi Neighbour Festival was held in 1964. Sam became the official mascot in 1967.

Hi Neighbour Sam, who is now accepted as the symbol of Transcona, typifies the casual, relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the Park City and was drawn by Roger Tychonick, a Jaycee member.

"I had a drawing in a magazine and I added a hat to it and put it aside," said Tychonick. "After the second Festival, we decided that we needed a symbol, I knew it would be perfect," Roger said. The name was decided during a festival committee discussion, according to Dave Sawchuk.

Later, the committee decided they wanted a more visual form of Sam, and in early 1968, the Festival Association announced they had commissioned sculpture George Barone to build an 11 1/2 foot high fibreglass and oxlite statue of Hi Neighbour Sam.

The erection of the statue was symbolic of the feelings of the citizens of Transcona and welcomed our neighbours, not only once a year for the four days of the Festival, but for 365 days of the year. A 1968 news article states "the original cost of the statue was $4,150.00," and according to the article, a committee was struck to raise the cost through generous donations of the business men and the citizens of Transcona.

Hi Neighbour Sam was dedicated by Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Richard S. Boles, as a symbol of friendship and goodwill during the official opening of the Fourth Annual Festival in 1968.

In 2009, the Statue of Hi Neighbour Sam was relocated spearheaded by Jean Delorme and a few volunteers to Regent Avenue just West of Plessis Road, in the centre median, welcoming everyone coming into Transcona. Murray Rougeau restored Sam to his original colours. Hi Neighbour Sam Remains to be the symbol and mascot for the citizens of Transcona.

On October 23, 2013, the Transcona Hi Neighbour Inc. legally obtained the Certificate of Registration of Copyright for Hi Neighbour Sam design. It shows the author as Roger Tychonick. The category of work is indicated as Artistic.