The history behind the “swinging girl” sign in Burnaby

Walking down Hastings Street in Burnaby, you may have noticed a neon sign of a girl on a swing with the word “Heights” on it.

At first, it may just appear to be a landmark to let you know what neighbourhood you’re in. However, the sign has a much deeper history and has since become a symbol of the Heights neighbourhood.

The “swinging girl” sign was originally made back in 1956 for Helen’s Children’s Wear’s Shop on Hastings Street. Helen Arnold, the owner of the shop and sign, had commissioned the sign from her friend Jimmy Wallace who was the owner of Vancouver’s Wallace Neon Company. Reeve Lehman, one of Wallace’s designers, ended up designing the sign, and it was installed in 1956.

Originally, the swinging girl sign had “Helen’s” written on it, until around 2010 when the City of Burnaby had acquired it and changed it to read “Heights” when refurbishing it.

Isabel Kolic, executive director of the Heights Merchants Association, told the Beacon via email that the decision to change the writing from “Helen’s” to “Heights” was “made by the heritage planner for Burnaby at the time, in recognition of the sign’s evolved role in representing the district. To always remember Helen Arnold, and the sign’s original text, the girl was henceforth to go by the name of Helen.

Currently, the swinging girl sign is being looked after by both the Heights Merchants Association and the City of Burnaby. “The Heights Merchants Association pays her monthly electricity bills and monitors her operations,” and “the City of Burnaby pays for her maintenance as needed,” said Kolic.

One of the reasons the “swinging girl” sign is so notable is it is one of the best examples of kinetic neon signs in all of North America. This is made possible through an internal motor and gears. But another reason that’s a little closer to home is this sign represents the history of businesses that still exist today in Burnaby. While Helen’s Children’s Wears closed its doors in 2007 and Arnold passed away in December 2019 at 99 years old, her legacy lives on through this sign.

So next time you’re walking down Hastings, be sure to say “hi” to Helen as she swings on the Heights sign.

Address: 4142 Hastings Street