Boissevain had started the Canadian Turtle Derby a couple of summers prior. It was starting to gain steam, and in that spirit, Pringle said, they wanted to put something in town to celebrate it.
“We were having the Turtle Derbies and had two or three of them and we decided we needed something to commemorate it.”
In 2014, Pringle said he could not remember who had come up with the idea of a turtle, but a western painted turtle was a natural as we had the mountains, the derby and a ton of turtles. There was also a growing number of this type of mascot in other communities.
“When going into the States and going into different states, there are things you look for in pictures, like Paul Bunyan (Bemidji, Minnesota) and stuff like that and we thought it would be a good attraction for Boissevain.”
Organizers contracted George Barone of Winnipeg. A native of Pizzo Calbro, Italy, he was a sculptor who either had or would add other mascots to his credit, including Sara the Camel in Glenboro and the Viking in Gimli. Pringle remembered it was put together quite quickly, with the committee making plans and getting them in to Barone. He thought it was likely done in a few months.
There were a few issues. The cost of building Tommy – apart from the base and trucking – was about $10,000. This seemed like a fair bit of money in 1974, and it was not readily available. Negotiations with financial institutions were not favourable.
“When we went in to borrow the money, the banks thought we were crazy. We dividied up the amount to pay Mr. Barone when he came. I think it was cash on delivery.”
Five people – Pringle, Robert Warnez, George Dyck, Jack Houston and Harry George each put in $2,000 to pay Tommy’s maternity fees. Barone put the banknotes in Tommy’s right shoulder, where they remain today. Pringle does not remember getting his money back, but said this was the way a small community gets built. At any rate, the cost was less than it would have been later.
“I can’t even imagine what it would take to build that today,” Pringle said, “but $10,000 wouldn’t even touch it.”
On July 16, 1974, Tommy made his trip down #10 Highway, making it to town around 6:00pm. The 22.5 ft. high and 15 ft. wide smiling reptile made his way off the flatbed truck and had to be hoisted on his feet on the concrete platform. But by July 18, the fibre-resin mascot was up and welcoming visitors, a job he has done very well. Radio CJRB was responsible for giving Tommy a voice and apart from a few bouts with technical laryngitis, he has been speaking to visitors for about 50 years.
Tommy’s welcoming open arms and subtly knowing smile were not always popular. A reviewer William French in the Globe and Mail referred to him as “absolutely hideous”, and that he made “all previous definitions of kitsch (pretentious art) obsolete.” This did not sit well with then-Mayor Jack Houston, who reacted as anyone would to an attack on their favourite child, saying French likely did not know what a western painted turtle even looked like, and invited him to take a look. Kitsch indeed!
Tommy received a major paint job in 2014, in time for his 40th birthday. The primer made him an albino turtle for a bit, but the results have kept him in pretty good shape for the last 10 years, showing fewer wrinkles than most of us in his age bracket. The festival he was created for is long gone now, but Pringle still feels he serves his purpose. He used to live out at Lake George and would see Tommy when he would drive out from town. Now he and wife Laurette live across the street at Cherry Creek Place – with Pringle saying he does it to keep his eye on his investment – he can really keep track of how popular the turtle is.
“I can’t believe from where we sit, how many people come. If I had a dollar for every picture, I’d be a millionaire. Even in the winter, they walk through the snow to take a picture with him. It’s been a really good attraction.”
“He looks good yet,” Pringle added. “He may last a long, long time.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff