The town of Hudson’s Hope recently introduced a new attire for its beloved mascot, Dudley the Dinosaur. After almost three decades, Dudley, the original mascot costume, was retired in 1997 or 1998 due to extensive wear and tear, as per Kelsey Shewfelt, the district’s recreation co-ordinator. Shewfelt, a Hudson’s Hope native, mentioned that there had been persistent requests from the community for Dudley’s comeback over the years. The initial costume was specially crafted for a parade around 1990 and became a regular sight at various local events, often seen sporting a Santa hat during festive seasons along with his signature red necktie.
The creation of the green dinosaur dates back to the late 1980s when Noreen Wilson was asked by the district to design a cartoon mascot for the town. Wilson, now residing in Armstrong, expressed her joy at Dudley’s revival, describing him as a cheerful and harmless character. Signs featuring Dudley were painted by Wilson for several municipal buildings in Hudson’s Hope, highlighting directions to the town’s hydroelectric dams and depicting activities like fishing. The enduring popularity of Dudley led to his appearance on buttons, pins, and stickers, with plans underway for new Dudley-themed merchandise.
The choice of a dinosaur as the mascot is fitting for Hudson’s Hope as the area has a history of prehistoric footprints and fossilized marine reptiles. The region has a rich paleontological heritage, with dinosaur trackways discovered near the Peace River canyon as early as the 1920s and later studied by renowned paleontologist Charles Mortram Sternberg in the 1930s.
Furthermore, Dudley shares his name with a local pioneer, Reginald Withers Shaw, known as Uncle Dudley. Shaw, who gained notoriety for his questionable culinary skills and was humorously dubbed “Deadly,” migrated from England to Canada in 1903, eventually settling in Hudson’s Hope near the Peace River.
In addition to Dudley, another mascot named Ember the Fox is now part of the town’s initiatives, aimed at educating children on fire safety as part of the FireSmart program. The introduction of Ember sparked renewed interest in bringing back Dudley, highlighting the heartwarming return of the iconic mascot from his “sabbatical.”