Assiniboia Inn Neon Sign

After featuring the Assiniboia Inn in a photo set last year, along with photographing a number of vintage neon motel signs along the Trans Canada, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I returned to capture the infamous Assiniboia Inn neon sign. The hotel has been closed for years now and the sign is permanently turned off, but it's still an eye-catching marquee. It's also a location that I can see changing dramatically in the short term, either with eventual renovation, or demolition / dismantling (which frankly seems more likely at the moment).      

The sign was erected in the early 1950s, when the building was renovated and expanded to become the brand new Assiniboia Hotel (before later becoming the Inn).  The last memories I really have of the sign being lit up were from before I left for university in 2002.  I remember the yellow lights around the edge of the sign flashed in a way that made them look like they were moving.  It was incredibly bright and lit up the entire intersection on South Railway Street.  

Sadly, the sign has been left wasting away for years now.  The fading paint only emphasizes the neglect of the building, and I can only guess how long it will be before the three story sign is removed out of fear of it falling.  I hope I'm wrong.  It would be amazing to see it lit up again.