Saint John’s Hooper statues heading inside

Iconic wooden statues in uptown Saint John are getting some much needed attention.

The statues have been exposed to the elements for more than a decade, and some of the pieces are beginning to show their age.

In 1975 the late John Hooper was commissioned by Canada Post to bring his “people waiting” concept to life.

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After a year of work, the statues made from Honduran mahogany, were completed and displayed outside the post office on Rothesay Avenue.

In the 1990s the post office donated the work to the City of Saint John, and were eventually moved to the foot of King Street in the uptown.

Despite efforts to protect the work, a full restoration is needed.

Tandi Hooper-Clark spent countless hours with her father over the years and explains his vision for the display.

“He always wanted his public pieces to be relatable to people so they would feel comfortable going over and sitting with them and hugging them, cuddling them and having their photographs taken with them,” Hooper-Clark says.

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She says the theme of the work was somewhat new for her father.

“He did so much besides his public pieces that were pretty dark, so these are his fun, colourful, relatable people that he wanted everyone to enjoy.”

Urban planner with the City of Saint John Jody Kliffer talks about the importance of the display.

“Arts and culture reflect back to us who we are at any one time in space but also continue to do that over time,” he says. “It’s showing respect to the creativity of people in the community who came before us but also reminds us of who we are.”

There’s no set timeline as to when the statues will undergo the restoration, how long it will take, or where they will be displayed again.

Until brought inside, the easily-accessible rot has been removed and in places protective paint has been applied.