He first reared his rather large head on Vancouver Island over a decade ago. He was a mascot for a go-kart track and made out of scrap metal and assorted other pieces of junk.
But it turns out that from those humble beginnings has risen a world-record-holder.
Behind it all is a Nanoose Bay artist Ron Hale.
Hale created his first piece of art in his little workshop.
Finding inspiration in what others might simply throw away.
“Some of it was pipe and some of it was channel iron,” says Hale.
It all came together when his wife decided to launch an art sale, featuring pieces made only out of junk.
With a small garden gnome as the model, the process began.
“I am not one of those people who look too far ahead. I just went and done it,” says Hale.
Nearly eight meters later, he had his finished product – a giant gnome who’s made its home at Hale’s former property that is now the site of this service station off Highway 19, where anyone passing by can’t help but take notice.
“You get a smile when you see it,” one man told Global News.
It’s been 11 years since the gnome was erected, but the newspaper articles collected and saved show keeping the creature in one place hasn’t been easy.
The regional district of Nanaimo has pushed to have it removed, saying it exceeded structural regulations, and that has sparked controversy.
Hale’s argument that it was a piece of art won out.
“Eventually we came to an agreement; I put it on a trailer and put it where it is now.”
And now, the gnome is proving its worth.
The Guinness Book of World Records has officially recognized it as the largest standing garden gnome.
After being submitted and denied a number of times, the owners here got it right.
“A process was to get it documented, officially measured by actual surveyors, and then pictures taken and witnesses said it was measured and all that kind of stuff,” says Gerrold Llott with ESSO.
With the closest competition coming in roughly three meters shorter, there’s a good chance it will hold on to the title for a while, but that’s not what matters to Hale.
“I feel good when I see people taking pictures of it. I feel good about that.”
What started out in this small workshop is getting worldwide attention. Something the artist never expected would come out of a few pieces of scrap metal.
“I had no idea,” says Hale. “I don’t know if I would have done it.”
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