The hands of time are back in downtown Chilliwack.
Removed on Jan. 17 after taking a beating from winter storms, the eight hands on the four faces of the Five Corners clock tower were replaced on Friday.
For weeks leading up to the removal, one or more hands on various faces were missing, and the time was frequently incorrect.
City hall said the wind and ice from December and January caused the damage.
• READ MORE: Time stands still for Chilliwack’s famously incorrect clock
Now that the hands are back up, downtown visitors will be able to see how well the gears are working if the time continues to be off. Even without the winter damage, the external clock arms often fell back by five to 10 minutes, something city crews regularly are called in to maintain.
Those who are downtown when the clock chimes may have also noticed that even when the hands are incorrect or missing, the chime is bang on. That’s because the clock has two parts: the external mechanical arms connected to gears, and an internal digital system that sounds the chimes.
Which is also, of course, why the chimes continued while the hands were missing.
The nearly 16-year-old clock was actually referred to as the Millenium Clock Tower when it was officially dedicated along with the surrounding plaza on May 31, 2002 by then-MLAs John Les and Barry Penner, along with then-mayor Clint Hames and city councillors Bernie Cross, Sharon Gaetz, Casey Langbroek, Mel Folkman, Dorothy Kostrzewa and Chuck Stam.
• READ MORE: Law Courts open - Chilliwack Progress June 4, 2002
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paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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