Few from Canada's long line of beer-swilling, puck-slapping hosers are as beloved as Bob and Doug McKenzie, the pair of fictional brothers played by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas on SCTV. Now, the pair have been further immortalized in popular culture with a new statue in Edmonton.
The life-size Bob and Doug McKenzie sculptures can be found at the intersection of 103 Street and 103 Avenue, complete with toques and era-appropriate "stubbie" beer bottles in hand. You can find photos of the statues below.
As the Edmonton Journal reports, the statue is a collaborative effort between Edmonton sculptor Ritchie Velthuis, the non-profit SCTV Monument Committee, Calgary's Bronzart Casting, and Moranis and Thomas themselves.
"Rick and I were both surprised and honoured at these statues of the McKenzie brothers," Thomas told the paper. "Despite the time that has passed, we both hold dear the memories of working at the ITV Studios on Allard Way Northwest with the rest of the cast and the Edmonton folks who worked behind the scenes on the SCTV show with us."
Thomas added, "We all became lifelong friends, and share a lot of memories. So, in that way, these statues really memorialize that experience and the folks from Edmonton and the other cast members of SCTV who worked on the show."
Velthuis, who first began work on the statue in 2017, confirmed that both Thomas and Moranis were set to attend a proper unveiling in the city that has since been cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"That's the bittersweet, anticlimactic part," the sculptor told the Journal. "I've just dedicated four, five years of my life to this, kept it a secret the whole time. And now it can't really be shared the way I'd like it to be shared."
Velthuis added, "I'm just super honoured to represent the Canadian icons that they truly are. Bob and Doug spoke to Canadian culture so profoundly, so eloquently in such a relatable way. And there's folklore about them working here, stories that probably aren't even half true. But they left a mark."
Thomas did, however, promise, "As soon as travel is allowed, we will return to Edmonton to see these statues in person."
Last month, it was confirmed that Moranis would be joining Disney's new Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film, which will mark his first theatrical appearance since taking a hiatus from on-screen roles in 1997.
The life-size Bob and Doug McKenzie sculptures can be found at the intersection of 103 Street and 103 Avenue, complete with toques and era-appropriate "stubbie" beer bottles in hand. You can find photos of the statues below.
As the Edmonton Journal reports, the statue is a collaborative effort between Edmonton sculptor Ritchie Velthuis, the non-profit SCTV Monument Committee, Calgary's Bronzart Casting, and Moranis and Thomas themselves.
"Rick and I were both surprised and honoured at these statues of the McKenzie brothers," Thomas told the paper. "Despite the time that has passed, we both hold dear the memories of working at the ITV Studios on Allard Way Northwest with the rest of the cast and the Edmonton folks who worked behind the scenes on the SCTV show with us."
Thomas added, "We all became lifelong friends, and share a lot of memories. So, in that way, these statues really memorialize that experience and the folks from Edmonton and the other cast members of SCTV who worked on the show."
Velthuis, who first began work on the statue in 2017, confirmed that both Thomas and Moranis were set to attend a proper unveiling in the city that has since been cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
"That's the bittersweet, anticlimactic part," the sculptor told the Journal. "I've just dedicated four, five years of my life to this, kept it a secret the whole time. And now it can't really be shared the way I'd like it to be shared."
Velthuis added, "I'm just super honoured to represent the Canadian icons that they truly are. Bob and Doug spoke to Canadian culture so profoundly, so eloquently in such a relatable way. And there's folklore about them working here, stories that probably aren't even half true. But they left a mark."
Thomas did, however, promise, "As soon as travel is allowed, we will return to Edmonton to see these statues in person."
Last month, it was confirmed that Moranis would be joining Disney's new Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film, which will mark his first theatrical appearance since taking a hiatus from on-screen roles in 1997.
After years in the making, a life-sized bronze statue of SCTV's inseparable Bob and Doug McKenzie appeared on 103 Street and 103 Avenue Tuesday night under a gentle snow, wearing toques and jeans and clutching open stubbies. #yeg pic.twitter.com/2oFzZVyLT3
— Edmonton Journal (@edmontonjournal) March 25, 2020
