The Golden Boy (official name: Eternal Youth and the Spirit of Enterprise) is a northward-facing statue perched on the dome of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Arguably the province's best-known symbol, the statue was modeled after the Roman god Mercury (Greek: Hermes) and is meant to represent the prosperity and entrepreneurial spirit of Manitoba. The statue depicts a nude young man running forward carrying a torch in one hand and a bundle of wheat in the other. Weighing , it stands tall from the toe to the top of the torch, and from head to toe. When first installed, the tip of his torch—at above ground—was the tallest point in all of Winnipeg. With the exception of several months in 2002 when the statue was lowered for restoration (including regilding), the Golden Boy has stood atop the Legislative Building since its opening. History Background The Golden Boy was conceived during the backdrop of World War I by British-born architect Frank Worthington Simon, who also designed the Manitoba Legislative Building that the figure would adorn. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway began to open the West in the late-19th century, and as result, thousands of immigrants began settling in and near Winnipeg in 1881. By 1911, the population of Manitoba had increased over seven-fold, to 461,394. That year, as the province was rich in natural resources, and Winnipeg (its capital) was a hub for agriculture, grain trade, and other enterprises, the Government of Manitoba announced plans to construct a new legislature, which Manitoba politicians hoped to represent this emerging strength and vitality. Being judged as best reflecting this goal, Simon's designs intended to create a building of inspiration, and his 'crowning glory' would be the statue positioned at its highest point. Creation In the summer of 1915, Simon commissioned Parisian sculptor Georges Gardet to create the statue. Over the next 18 months or so, the men exchanged transatlantic letters and drawings regularly. These documents are now preserved at the Archives of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Simon prepared the shaft for statue to be built in two parts: the upper part, extending from the statue to the centre of the ball where it would fit into the coupling, was to be built in France. The lower part of the shaft would be built in Winnipeg, upon delivery of the statue. As both metals and lathes were needed for the