St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, December 27, 2010 – Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird today announced that Newfoundland artist, Luben Boykov, has been selected to create a Terry Fox statue for the Terry Fox Mile 0 Memorial Site in St. John’s, NL.
"Having a statue of Terry Fox at the location where he began his historic Marathon of Hope will provide Canadians with a place to connect with him and his incredible journey," said Minister Baird. "The statue this artist will produce will inspire and help us all find hope in the important lesson that Terry taught us all - that ordinary people can have extraordinary courage and determination and with that, accomplish remarkable things.”
In September 2010, The Government of Canada announced it would contribute $250,000 to create a statue that is a lifelike representation of Terry Fox dipping his foot in the water at the site where he began his Marathon of Hope in 1980. This statue will be placed at the Terry Fox Mile 0 Memorial Site in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which provides Canadians of all ages with a place to believe in their dreams, to share their hopes, and to personally connect with the legacy of this Canadian Icon.
"There were many significant Marathon of Hope moments and locations as Terry ran across Canada in 1980 though there is only place where Terry took his first step,” says Darrell Fox. “Based on Luben's past work and the Terry Fox Mile 0 submission we are confident he will capture the significance and excitement of the moment when Terry began his journey."
In addition to the statue, enhancements planned for the Terry Fox Mile 0 Memorial Site include landscaping, interpretive signage, and a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating Terry Fox as a person of national historic significance.
The City of St. John's in association with Parks Canada, the St. John's Port Authority and the Terry Fox family issued a request for proposals to local artists, art organizations and the local media on October 29 for an outdoor sculpture to celebrate the legacy of Terry Fox and commemorate the start of his epic run. The jury responsible for selecting the artist included representatives from Parks Canada, the Fox family, City of St. John’s, St. John's Port Authority, local artists and others.
For more information on the Terry Fox Mile 0 Memorial Site, please visit parkscanada.gc.ca.
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Information:
Pascale Boulay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Jennifer Duff
Public Relations and Communications
Newfoundland East
Parks Canada
709-772-0285
