Uncle Sam statue removal for facelift sparks mixed reactions
October 1, 2025 at 6:59 PM
The Uncle Sam statue was lifted from the Delta Bingo and Gaming, formerly Uncle Sam’s Bingo Palace, roof in Fort Erie on Tuesday for repairs, drawing cheers and jeers from residents.
The 36-foot landmark, a fixture on Garrison Road for more than 30 years, will be patched, repainted and returned.
Some locals celebrated its temporary removal, while others worried it might be gone for good.
Niagara Falls company Signature Sign and Image, which also restored the statue a decade ago, was hired to handle the work. Co-owner Mark Wallis told Fort Erie Radio the job involves fixing the fiberglass shell and steel structure before returning it to the roof.
Uncle Sam will have his fiberglass shell and steel structure repaired before being returned to Garrison Road. Credit: Emily Butko Wallis | Signature Sign and Image“He’s a fiberglass sculpture, weighs 3,600 pounds, and we took him down just to basically refinish him,” said Wallis.
The crew used a 20-ton crane and 45-foot trailer to remove the statue, a process that lasted about three hours.
Wallis said in an interview reactions came quickly, both in person and online.
“A lot of people were happy he was going, a lot of people were sad, and I’m reassuring everybody it’s going back up,” he said.
Facebook comments Wallis received ranged from calls to replace the statue with something Canadian to jokes about sending it to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Wallis added that this type of reaction is not unusual when large public signs or statues come down for maintenance.
“We finished the one on the Dairy Queen in Port Colborne and people thought we were scrapping it,” he said. “Then when they found out it was going back up, everyone was happy again.”
The statue’s future is secure, though there has been talk of a different colour scheme. Wallis said the landlord may consider a new paint job but is leaning toward the original look.
“It’s a landmark for a lot of people and something like that would takes a little bit of history away, so it’s nice to know it’s going back up,” he added.
The restoration is expected to take about a week and a half before Uncle Sam returns to his perch over Garrison Road.
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About The Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
I wonder when Mr Sam will go back up, its weird that its gone. Maybe they should change the colours to red and white?
Should be back up in a week and a half.