GOULD STREET

Sunset Neon selected to install Sam the Record Man signs

"We are very pleased to announce the iconic Sam the Record Man signs, with their spinning neon discs, will once again illuminate downtown Toronto,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi. “We’re very thankful to the City of Toronto and the Sniderman family for their ongoing support and patience. We are all looking forward to the signs lighting up Toronto later this year.”

In a statement, Jason and Bobby Sniderman, the sons of Sam Sniderman, expressed gratitude for the installation. They wrote: “On behalf of every person who remembers purchasing their first record at or who worked in a Sam the Record Man store, Jason and Bobby Sniderman want to sincerely thank Ryerson University and the City of Toronto for having fulfilled their commitment to re-install the iconic Sam the Record Man signs.”

In preparing the site for the installation, the city and Ryerson had to undertake a number of engineering and feasibility studies to ensure that the signs can be re-mounted safely at 277 Victoria St., taking into account weight and wind shear.

The neon signs will be refurbished before moving to its new permanent home later this summer. Ryerson University will be covering all costs associated with the restoration, installation and ongoing maintenance.

One year later, La Loche comes to Toronto

On January 13, nearly one year after the tragedy, 10 students and two staff members from La Loche Community School visited Ryerson as part of a four-day Toronto trip. Students visited Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre, participated in science demonstrations, learned about Ryerson’s interdisciplinary business incubators, and met Rams athletes at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The trip was facilitated by journalist Marci Ien, RTA ’91, a former news anchor and co-host of Canada AM. “It’s such a close-knit community: there are less than 3,000 people there, and everybody was affected,” said Ien. “There’s a heaviness still, and yet it is a strong community, and I get the sense from these kids that they don’t want to be defined by that.”

“This is part of our mission at Ryerson: reaching out to different communities, and the Aboriginal community is a priority,” said President Mohamed Lachemi. “We want to give high school students opportunities to think about their futures.”

The students also appeared on CTV’s The Social and saw a Raptors game.—Will Sloan