Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 9/1/2012 (3185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JOE BRYKSA/ WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A new sign on the roof of Nepon Auto Body still welcomes motorists to the neighbourhood, but makes no comment about people or profit.

A northbound trip over the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge is bringing a familiar, but slightly different view to drivers these days.

Nepon Auto Body's roof has borne a painted message since the early 1990s that greets drivers entering the neighbourhood.

"Welcome to the North End."

At least, that's the only part that Nepon's owner Leslie Nepon wrote.

"Right at the base of the bridge is the North End," said Nepon.

"So we just decided to put 'Welcome to the North End.' "

One day, Nepon noticed someone had apparently climbed onto the roof of the shop and painted "People before profit" underneath the original message. The two phrases together became a well-known staple of the North End, but Nepon says the residents often misinterpreted the message.

"We're pretty sure we know who wrote it," Nepon said, adding the message was written with a sarcastic twist. "It was written like 'the North End is just a money grab,' or that people just don't care about what happens in the North End."

But since the sarcasm didn't translate well in print, all who saw it took it to mean exactly how it read -- the North End puts its residents first.

This past November, Nepon had a new roof built on their building, and their original message was repainted, larger than before and in a font that resembles graffiti. "People before profit," however, does not appear to be making a comeback any time soon, raising a few eyebrows in and around the neighbourhood.

"People are phoning and asking," said Nepon.

"A lot of people want to know if we're going to put 'People before profit' back up, and all I say is we'll just wait and see what the response is."

Nepon said residents in the area were adamant that she put up "Welcome to the North End" again when they noticed the roof was being redone but, while people are phoning in to inquire about the secondary phrase, the demand to have it back is not quite as overwhelming.

Dropping In is a 'random act of journalism' that starts with a thumbtack on a city map and ends with a story from the street

jordan.thompson@freepress.mb.ca