Champ arrives…well, his replica

PRINCE GEORGE–Champ has arrived!–well…his replica.

Champ, the mechanical horse who resided at Northern Hardware since the 1950’s up until earlier this year, has a doppelganger. Yes, a replica has been created in order to preserve the original mechanical horse and it can be found at the Exploration Place. CEO of the local museum, Tracy Calogheros says that they want to recreate what Champ meant to the community as best as they can.

“It wasn’t just about nails and screws, The Northern was community centre and a gathering hub and so Champ became that place your brought your kids on Sunday, whether you needed to shop at the store or not. We intend to do the same thing with it.”–Tracy Calogheros, CEO, Exploration Place

Champ is one of the 130 artifacts that Northern Hardware gave to The Exploration Place, including cash registers, historical photographs and more. The Exploration Place is planning a Northern Hardware exhibit in 2021, focusing on the history of the store.