World's 'largest garden gnome' on Vancouver Island in need of new home

World's tallest gnome needs a new home A Nanoose Bay gnome measuring eight metres tall is looking for new owners after a nearby gas station threatened to tear it down.

Its platform may be rotting, the paint is peeling, and there appears to be moss growing on the beard, but an eight-metre tall gnome on Vancouver Island is still in need of a new home.

Bestowed the title of the world’s “largest garden gnome” by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009, the nearly eight-metre-tall statue has stood on the side of Island Highway in Nanoose Bay for 21 years.

The gnome was built out of scrap metal by Ron Hale, to be used as the mascot for an amusement park and go-kart track owned and operated by his family. It was nicknamed “Howard” after a former employee who worked at the park.

Years later, the Hale family sold the amusement park property to a Chevron gas station with the understanding the new owners would keep the gnome and maintain it.

However, as the years went on, Hale’s grandchildren say Howard has fallen into disrepair and the gas station owners want to dismantle it for “legal reasons.”

Chevron Canada has not yet responded to CTV News’ request for comment on the matter.

Bridget Matewish, Hale’s granddaughter, said her grandfather died a year-and-a-half ago and she wants to save the gnome in honour of his memory.

“This was kind of his legacy and we want to keep him [the gnome] around,” she told CTV Vancouver Island on Monday. “We know that he’s a landmark. He stands for the community, but also for our family and what we had here for so many years.”

Another grandchild, Chris Hale, said the gnome is historically significant to the area.

“People that lived on Vancouver Island, this used to be the go-kart track and this is a symbol of that and they stop here all the time,” he explained.

Matewish said she’s surprised by the outpouring of support for the gnome the family has received in recent weeks, including a shout-out from Canadian “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall who posed for a photo in front of it in January.

“It would be sad to see him go. He has waved us on for countless years. Our Nanoose Bay gnome,” she told CTV Vancouver Island.

Matewish said the gas station owners told her they would likely remove the statue by the end of April.

In response, the Hale family and their supporters have been desperately searching for a new home for the gnome. Matewish said they’ve received enquiries from people across British Columbia and even in Alberta, but she prefers to keep the gnome in the Oceanside area.

“I would just love to see him go to a place where he can still bring happiness and people can take photos with him and he can still be all over the internet,” she said. “I would just love to see him in a place where he can still be enjoyed by people still.”