Charging through the storm
26 bison sculptures installed along Roblin Boulevard in support of Toba Centre
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This article was published 04/06/2025 (364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Drivers making their way down Roblin Boulevard between Assiniboine Park Drive and Shaftesbury Boulevard will soon notice several new additions to the grassy borders of the street – a herd of 26 bison sculptures facing west, each sporting an original, colourful paint job by a local artist.
The Bison on the Boulevard art installation is a collaborative effort of Toba Centre, Graffiti Art Programming, the contributing artists, and a variety of sponsors, each of which made donations to support Toba Centre and sponsor the painting of a sculpture. The project’s aim is to raise awareness of Toba Centre, a charitable child advocacy organization which brings together a variety of professionals and agencies to provide trauma-informed care for young people affected by abuse.
Bison on the Boulevard combines the strength and cultural significance of the bison with eye-catching designs visible from either on-foot or behind the wheel. Although each 10,000-pound concrete bison looks completely different — all the artists involved worked independently — the herd as a whole represents resilience and unity.
Photo by Emma Honeybun
26 painted bison sculptures, weighing 10,000 pounds each, are now visible alongside Roblin Boulevard near Assiniboine Park.
Indigenous Elder Billie Schibler — speaking at the official launch on May 28 — described bison as teachers and acknowledged the sacred role they played in Manitoba long before contact with Europeans.
To acknowledge the importance of the animal, the opening press conference was held in front of Assiniboine Park Zoo’s bison enclosure. As Schibler and others spoke, real, live bison lingered close to the fence visible from the zoo parking lot.
“If you’ve ever watched the buffalo, when they’re in a herd … they gather together if they ever feel that there is any type of danger. They circle facing outwards and they keep their young in the centre for protection,” Schibler said.
“And I think that’s so relevant for the work that is being done through Toba Centre. Because that’s what it’s all about. It is about a community coming together in a good way. And recognizing the importance of that protection and that safety.”
Toba Centre CEO Christy Dzikowicz explained why the organization chose a bison to be its logo.
“We were motivated by a quote from an Indigenous activist named Wilma Mankiller, who said, ‘Cows run away from the storm, while the buffalo charges through it — and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment. I become the buffalo.’
Photo by Emma Honeybun
The Bison on the Boulevard project, in support of Toba Centre, was inspired by the herd mentality of bison, as well as the strong incentive to protect their young.
Youth participants in Graffiti Art programs painted two of the sculptures. Steve Wilson, executive director at Graffiti, said the Bison on the Boulevard project was a natural for the organization, which offers free visual arts, music and dance classes to over 3,000 children each year.
“That resonated for us in terms of the kids and families we serve, it resonated for us in terms of the professionals that don’t shy away from this issue, and it now resonates for us with the community that is facing this head-on,” Dzikowicz said.
“We use this beautiful, magical, wonderful thing that we call art as our tool to offer services and support young people that live primarily in the North End and inner city,” Wilson said. “Our students are a testament to the power of a song to change a life or how a painting can tell a difficult truth, as what you’re seeing here, in the most beautiful way.”
Dzikowicz said she hoped vulnerable children and their families will be able to learn more about Toba Centre through the art installation.
“We hope that they’ll learn that Toba Centre is a good, safe space for them to tell their story,” she said. “It’s our hope that when you visit this installation, that you understand and you are, in a very real way, bearing witness to the stories of these children. And it’s our hope that everyone who calls this province their home will enjoy the art and be proud to be from here.”
Photo by Emma Honeybun
Toba Centre support dogs are pictured beside one of 26 new bison sculptures along Roblin Boulevard. The Bison on the Boulevard project was a collaborative effort between the Toba Centre, Graffiti Art Programming, and local artists and sponsors.
The bison will be on display on Roblin Boulevard until October, when donors who sponsored the sculptures will be able to take possession of them.
To learn more about the bison or to plan your visit, check out BisonOnTheBlvd.ca
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