By Ramisha Farooq
Famed Canadian singer-songwriter, Leslie Feist, has tossed her hat into the ring — appealing to Ryerson University to properly commemorate and preserve the Sam the Record Man sign.
Feist posted a letter on the SOS: Save Our Sign Facebook page Wednesaday, calling on the school to seriously consider the importance of protecting the sign.
She writes: “Our collective story in music, and the rare landmarks we have available to us to remember it by are a way to avoid heaving ourselves headlong into the future blind of what helped form us.”
Ryerson has cited that structural and environmental issues prevent them from placing the sign on their new student building, housed in the lot formerly home to the iconic record store.
However, in an Oct. 9 city council meeting, the fate of the sign was deferred until further analysis and assessments can be made. City managers have yet to find an appropriate location.
The sign is currently being stored in pieces in a trailer in northern Toronto.
“It wouldn’t take much but to put it in the hands of people who will do right by its legacy. Please consider what you can do to help conserve your city and make it richer for the kids you’re educating,” said Feist.
The award winning musician launched her solo music career in 1999 with the release of her first album, Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down). Her subsequent albums have sold over 2.5 million copies.
The full letter from Feist to Ryerson
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