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WINNIPEG - City hall is about to honour television's most beloved and buffoonish dad for being a real homer -- just in time for Father's Day.
Homer Simpson will be made an official honorary citizen of the city this Friday -- a follow-up to last year's revelation that the main character of TV's longest-running animated sitcom is based on a real-life Winnipeg native, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's father.
"Homer is coming to TD Centre," Heather McIntyre, CanWest Global's local manager of production and operations, said yesterday of the honour to be bestowed outside the city's tallest tower.
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi will make the tribute official at 1 p.m. as CanWest Global Communications Corp. launches a national Father's Day contest as a promotion for its TV channels.
"We're giving him a giant certificate, and there's going to be an eight-foot-tall Homer Simpson there to receive it," said Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), who will join CanWest officials Leonard and Gail Asper for the ceremony.
The event is coming as efforts progress to create a museum in honour of another Winnipeg-rooted character, Winnie the Pooh.
McIntyre said CanWest founder Israel Asper's $69-million co-purchase of the TD skyscraper -- and his efforts to land Manitoba Hydro's new headquarters on the property -- is "not connected in any way" to Homer's appearance.
"I think we'll find there are lots of people in Winnipeg whose father has characteristics like Homer," Gerbasi said.
Homer Simpson will be made an official honorary citizen of the city this Friday -- a follow-up to last year's revelation that the main character of TV's longest-running animated sitcom is based on a real-life Winnipeg native, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's father.
"Homer is coming to TD Centre," Heather McIntyre, CanWest Global's local manager of production and operations, said yesterday of the honour to be bestowed outside the city's tallest tower.
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi will make the tribute official at 1 p.m. as CanWest Global Communications Corp. launches a national Father's Day contest as a promotion for its TV channels.
"We're giving him a giant certificate, and there's going to be an eight-foot-tall Homer Simpson there to receive it," said Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), who will join CanWest officials Leonard and Gail Asper for the ceremony.
The event is coming as efforts progress to create a museum in honour of another Winnipeg-rooted character, Winnie the Pooh.
McIntyre said CanWest founder Israel Asper's $69-million co-purchase of the TD skyscraper -- and his efforts to land Manitoba Hydro's new headquarters on the property -- is "not connected in any way" to Homer's appearance.
"I think we'll find there are lots of people in Winnipeg whose father has characteristics like Homer," Gerbasi said.
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