Amelia’s Return Spring 2026
HARBOUR GRACE, NL – The Town of Harbour Grace wishes to update residents on the return of our Amelia Earhart statue to the Spirit of Harbour Grace Municipal Park.
As residents are aware, in late April 2025, on two separate occasions, thieves stole two bronze plaques and our much-beloved statue of Amelia Earhart. In late August, after a tip from the public, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police recovered the statue on the Heart’s Content barrens and returned the item—now chopped into several pieces—to the municipality. With the help of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry (Morgan MacDonald) and Rock Edge Designs, the Town has been able to restore the statue and further improve the “statue base.”
Taking into consideration the winter season, the Town has decided to hold a public unveiling event on May 20, 2026, to celebrate the 94th anniversary of Earhart’s flight from Harbour Grace. We will begin planning this event in early 2026, and we look forward to celebrating Amelia’s return with you then.
Furthermore, the Town appreciates MHA Pam Parsons’s efforts to support this project from the beginning. In May 2025, shortly after these thefts, MHA Parsons, in her role as Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality, committed $50,000 to help purchase a new statue or facilitate repairs upon recovery. Thankfully, the Town’s insurer covered the repair costs to the statue and base repair (less insurance deductible). Unfortunately, efforts by the current Town Council to meet with the new provincial government to determine if the $50,000 committed could be used to make the existing site accessible for everyone were unsuccessful. The Town was very disappointed to learn of this decision through media reports and not directly from the Office of the Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality. However, the Town remains committed to improving accessibility and removing barriers at the site—the same way Amelia removed barriers when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Statue
In 2007, to recognize the 75th anniversary of Earhart’s solo transatlantic flight, sculptor Luben Boykov created this one-of-a-kind statue for Roger Pike, who donated the piece to his hometown, Harbour Grace, as a visitor attraction. Since its installation, thousands of tourists from across the province, country, and globe have visited our community to see this work of art and the place where aviation history was made.
Contact
For further information, please contact:
Terry Barnes
Mayor, Town of Harbour Grace
(709) 597-3107
[email protected]
Photo courtesy of The Newfoundland Bronze Foundry.
Photo ID: A photograph of a person using a welding tool and wearing a welding mask. They are repairing a bronze statue.