Henderson wolves should be moved

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/01/2014 (4505 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Back in May 2013,  I wrote about the sculptures of wolves along the Chief Peguis Trail extension. I noted how the sculptures at Lagimodiere Boulevard looked so much more natural, having been placed in front of a forest, compared to the sculptures at Henderson Highway.

At Henderson, the background includes traffic, a fresh fruit and vegetable business and apartment blocks. Hardly an environment to offer the setting any authenticity.

I believe the City was trying to create a reflection of the Chief Peguis era, noticing the shrubs, plants and trees being planted around the pond and the various nodes in the area.

Interpretive signs were placed at the nodes and along the paths which told about the animals and vegetation of that time, which added to the atmosphere.

I contacted the City and asked if the wolves could be moved back further away from Henderson Highway and closer to Millennium Gardens, where there is a forest. I was told the contract had already been completed and to go back now would involve more expenses, so the answer was “not likely.”

I then asked — since the city was planting an additional 1,800 trees around the retention pond — if they could spare a dozen or so to plant behind the wolves at Henderson?

“Not likely”

In Bertha Klassen’s (community correspondent) Nov. 27, 2013 column in The Herald, “Things of beauty are a joy forever,” she too wrote about the background setting for the wolves near Henderson Highway and how they seemed to be out of place.

She goes said the wolves at Lagimodiere Boulevard seemed to be placed in a much more correct environment, with only green grass, trees and bushes around them.

I think the City made an error in judgement in the placement of these sculptures and I would like to see them either move the sculptures or build a backdrop for them.

One place they could be relocated to is the green area in between the east and west lanes of Chief Peguis between Rothesay Street and Henderson. They could be admired by traffic travelling in both directions.

Some plants, shrubs and trees could be planted in close proximity and create more of an authentic appearance.

This would also add something to the drive,  rather than just having grass and the sound barriers to look at.

In her column, Bertha also touched on the work and the time put into making these wolves, with each one looking a little different than the next.

I hope the city reconsiders and relocates these sculptures.

Rick Sparling is a community correspondent for North Kildonan. Email him at ricksparling@shaw.ca