The Eagle Ford neon sign has returned to its roost

On February 27, 2025, the City will celebrate the return of the iconic "Eagle Ford Neon Sign" to its original home on Hastings Street in North Burnaby.

Event details:

February 27, 6 pm – 7 pm
4191 Hastings Street (Intersection of Hastings Street and Carleton Avenue)
Official remarks will start at 6:30 pm.

The Eagle Ford Neon Sign, featuring the silhouette of an eagle poised for flight, was first installed in the 1940s at Walsh Motors on Hastings Street.

The eagle design featured on the sign was originally associated with Richfield Oil products: similar signs were displayed at gas stations and garages that sold Richfield products.

By the 1950s, the eagle neon sign was one of several vibrant signs illuminating Hastings Street, including the famous "Swinging Girl" sign at Helen’s Children’s Wear shop.

When Walsh Motors later became “Eagle Motors Garage and Sales” in 1950, the eagle sign remained. In 1956, the business became an official dealership for Ford Motor Company products, known as Eagle Ford.

The iconic eagle was used in Eagle Ford’s advertising and was featured on its car badge, long after the location stopped selling Richfield oil products. The classic chrome badge with the name “Eagle Ford – Burnaby, BC” was installed on all the Ford cars and trucks sold by the dealership.

When the Eagle Ford dealership closed in 1985, the sign was removed and acquired by a private collector who preserved it for 25 years. In 2012, the City of Burnaby acquired the sign with the intention of restoring and reinstalling it at its original location.

Local neon sign company Galaxie Signs completed the restoration, using traditional sign fabrication techniques to repaint the eagle design and bend neon tubes to recreate the original look. Vancouver-based neon sign historian John Atkin provided a conservation plan to guide the meticulous work.

The Eagle Ford Neon Sign now joins the "Swinging Girl" sign as part of Burnaby's civic heritage resources. Both signs are managed in partnership with the Heights Merchants Association.

More information on the sign can be found here.