The much-loved steam clock in Gastown will be undergoing an overhaul during late summer 2006. The clock is suffering from electrical malfunctions, which resulted in the clock’s whistle blowing continuously for 15 minutes at a time on several occasions - much to the frustration of local merchants and residents. The clock chimes every 15 minutes from 8:00am to 11:00pm, and is reduced by two hours in the winter months. The last time it needed repairs was in 2002, after it was hit by a car.
The clock was designed and built by Burnaby local Ray Saunders in 1977. Despite the clock’s name, it is not powered by steam, but electricity. It operates on a system of steel balls, gears and pulleys and has an electric motor that operates the whistle. It is this motor that needs repairs. Also on the repair list are the rest of the clock’s mechanicals, but the motor is what is most urgent. Total cost is expected to be in the $30,000 range. Ray Saunders will oversee the work.
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