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Why ‘Paul’ has gone viral, and is all anyone’s talking about in northern N.B.

Click to play video: '‘Paul’ and his snowblower become meme in northern New Brunswick'
‘Paul’ and his snowblower become meme in northern New Brunswick
WATCH: All signs point to Paul in Bathurst, N.B. What started as a cheeky sign telling “Paul” his snowblower had arrived has snowballed into a community frenzy that’s spreading all over northern New Brunswick. Suzanne Lapointe reports. – Nov 7, 2023

Paul’s a busy guy.

If the signs around the City of Bathurst in northern New Brunswick are to be believed, then Paul has to pick up everything from his snowblower, to his wife’s pants, and even his kid from daycare.

Apparently Paul should tell his wife that her pants are ready too. Provided/Sandy Carrier

“People are asking, ‘Who’s Paul?'” said local business owner Darcy Landry, who runs D’s Tea Shop.

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“To me, Paul is whoever comes in and asks the question.”

Ok, let’s back up a bit.

It all began when the local Home Hardware store needed to change up its outdoor sign with a new phrase.

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“Paul your new snowblower has arrived,” the bright red and yellow sign proclaimed last Friday.

A hardware store’s marketing campaign in Bathurst, N.B. has turned into a local meme — with many other businesses taking part in letting “Paul” know where his stuff is. Suzanne Lapointe/Global News

Soon, Paul became the name on everyone’s lips in the community.

Business after business put up their own signs — telling Paul his lunch was ready, his child needed to be picked up, and that his latte was “getting cold.”

“I went on Facebook and TikTok and every business in the City of Bathurst was jumping in,” said Mayor Kim Chamberlain. “It was really nice.”

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Paul is such a highly sought-after man that even the local police have taken notice. A post on the Bathurst Police Force’s Facebook page is asking Paul to “come to the Bathurst police station.”

The lore is that Paul is a real person, who truly did order a snowblower. His true identity, however, is being kept secret for now.

Landry, who has a sign outside his tea shop telling Paul to come pick up his bubble tea, said it’s been fun having the community rally together. Business owners are also getting inquiries about Paul from around the country.

Paul has become a beloved resident of Bathurst, N.B. Suzanne Lapointe/Global News

Mayor Chamberlain was a bit surprised by how quickly the joke took off, and only has one request:

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“Paul you have to come and sign the book at City Hall!”

— with files from Global News’ Suzanne Lapointe

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