Mr. Spock shuttles into Vulcan

VULCAN, Alberta, April 24 (UPI) -- Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock in the original "Star Trek" TV series, has returned home to Vulcan or at least to the Canadian town of Vulcan in southern Alberta.

Hundreds of people watched Friday as Nimoy unveiled a bronze bust of Spock, the pointy-eared first officer of the Enterprise, The Lethbridge Herald reported.

"Wait until Bill Shatner hears about this," Nimoy said. "I have been a Vulcan for 44 years and I figured it was about time I came home."

William Shatner, who commanded Spock as Capt. James T. Kirk, is a native of Montreal. Nimoy grew up in Boston.

"The Spock character has been a role model for a lot of young people, middle-aged people and elderly people like myself -- a character of dignity and intelligence and professionalism," the 79-year-old Nimoy said. "In all of these experiences I have never had an experience quite as touching as I'm having here today."

Nimoy urged his fans to "live long and prosper."

Vulcan, home to fewer than 2,000 people, was named after the Greek god of fire by a Canadian Pacific Railroad surveyor in 1915. The town hosts an annual convention for Trekkies.