Iconic downtown landmark mangled by delivery truck

A half-century-old neon sign at 13 Queen Street East has been removed for safety reasons after it was recently battered by an errant delivery truck.

John Armstrong, who bought the popular Ernie's Coffee Shop last year, says the accident occurred on March 25.

The overhanging sign was taken down about a week later and concerns quickly arose about whether it could be legally reinstalled under current municipal bylaws.

The issue ended up on the agenda of Wednesday's meeting of the city's municipal heritage committee, which was asked to prepare a "save-the-sign" letter.

"I didn't actually need to prepare the letter at this point," said Virginia McLeod, the city's manager of recreation and culture.

"They are able to re-install the sign as is, because they are grandfathered in under the building code," McLeod said.

"Also, the mayor is a frequenter there and he told them he would take care of it, so I think they're going to be okay," added committee member Kaitlin Kazmierowski.

The red tape has apparently been taken care of, but Ernie's owner John Armstrong tells SooToday he's not sure the old sign can be saved, especially the neon lighting.

The sign dates back to the 1960s or even the 1950s, Armstrong says.

The sign was in the shape of a letter 'L' (for Lorenzo's) in those days.

When the original Ernie – Ernie Febbraro – bought the place in 1971, he decided to paint over the big L and make make it look like a giant coffee cup.

He added the neon tubing, and that's Armstrong's biggest concern right now.

Armstrong says there's only one craftsman in the Sault capable of glass-blowing neon tubing and he's no longer in the business.

Armstrong says he'd probably have to to hire someone from the United States to properly fix the sign and the cost will be "absurd."  

He's had to fix one neon loop since he bought the business and it cost him $1,400.

But the sign will be replaced in one form or another.

"Ernie’s is a landmark in our community and that sign is iconic," Mayor Provenzano told SooToday after the meeting.

"John is a great young restaurateur and what he is doing is really impressive."

"I am happy to support him and I hope that both John and the sign are there for many successful years to come," the mayor said.