In a 4-3 vote on April 13, Sechelt council decided the public art piece Regeneration will stay in its current location in the centre of Spirit Square.
The piece that consists of two burned logs from the Old Sechelt Mine fire currently has only one log standing, as the other fell in a windstorm. Sechelt staff were waiting for council to decide its permanent location before reinstalling the fallen log with a proper anchor plate.
Three potential locations were presented to council by arts, culture and communications coordinator Siobhan Smith during the April 13 regular council meeting – the centre of Spirit Square, the side of Spirit Square or on the lawn of the visitor information centre near the highway.
Some councillors were concerned leaving the art piece in the centre of Spirit Square would alter the square’s intended use for large public gatherings.
Smith said the placement could change the use, “but it’s not changing it for the worse.”
She said there were “very few” user groups that booked the square for gatherings and that most of the gatherings could still go on with the art piece in the centre of the square.
The only annual gathering that could not go ahead as planned with the art installation, Smith said, is the dry grad Chatelech Secondary holds each year.
“They’re probably the one user group that we know of for sure that makes use of that space and could actually have to change their plans potentially,” Smith said.
Coun. Darnelda Siegers said she was more in favour of moving the sculpture to the side of the square, but Smith said that could send a negative message to the artist, Gord Halloran.
“It does, from my perspective, send the message that this was something that was in our way and we need to find a way to move it out of the way, which might be what we’re saying, but I don’t know that is appropriate in this situation,” Smith said.
“I would also like to suggest that a large-scale work of public art should be something that has a monumental sense to it in some way and sticking something off to the side doesn’t have that same feeling to it.”
Coun. Alice Lutes said she was more in favour of the lawn location outside the visitor information centre for its ease of view by passing motorists.
Mayor Bruce Milne said the current location in the centre of Spirit Square was the only one that made “aesthetic sense” and noted the differing views of council was the “best demonstration for why we should have an arts advisory committee and not let elected officials start tinkering around with public art and how public art should be placed.
“Because elected officials simply don’t bring the comprehensive understanding of public space and art to the discussion,” Milne said.
When the vote was called to leave the piece in the centre of Spirit Square, Milne, Lutes and councillors Doug Wright and Noel Muller were in favour, while councillors Mike Shanks, Darren Inkster and Siegers were against.
Smith said the permanent installation of the second half of the sculpture would not be done “for a while,” as “we have to hire a couple of different companies to assist with various aspects of the project.”
Regeneration was purchased by the District of Sechelt on Feb. 17 for a total of $13,692 after council saw the community respond to it during the Sechelt Arts Festival.
Most of the purchase price ($8,750) went to the artist and the rest was used to install the work in Spirit Square, which is outside the entrance to the visitor information centre in Sechelt.
The piece is meant to honour those who helped battle the Old Sechelt Mine Fire that threatened Sechelt last summer.
