City looking for artists to transform Regina's oldest tree into art
The City of Regina has big plans for one of its oldest trees that was cut down last year.
A portion of the 123-year-old American Elm that was taken down in Victoria Park now resides in a city facility.
The city wants to commemorate the tree, which has seen so much of Regina’s history unfold beneath its branches.
The elm is visible in old photographs of the construction of the Hotel Saskatchewan.
Artists have been invited to come and have a look at the tree – to see what ideas they may have to transform the piece of wood into a piece of art.
According to Ashley Thompson, the coordinator of forestry, pests and horticulture with the city, one artist will be selected, and receive a budget of $15,000 for the project which will include moving the tree and finding a place to work on it.
“A lot of people cannot believe how big this piece is, it is a very large piece,” Thompson told CTV News.
“It's [going to] be quite the undertaking, a lot of logistics will go into it. How to haul it out of here. How to find a space to work on it. A lot of people are just trying to wrap their head around how big of a project it is."
One interested artist, Stephanie Bellefleaur, says the piece of American Elm represents an opportunity to make a lasting mark on the city’s landscape.
"I think it's really exciting we have accessibility to a piece of nature that could potentially become a public art piece and also pieces of this tree going back to Indigenous people, and maybe elders that could use it in ceremony."
The art project will be revealed next April on Arbour Day. It will then be put on display in a public building or park.
--With files from Gareth Dillistone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Federal government to further limit number of international students
The federal government will be further limiting the number of international students permitted to enter Canada next year. It’s the government’s latest immigration-related measure to address Canadians' ongoing housing and affordability concerns.
BREAKING Bloc MPs will vote confidence in Liberal government next week: Blanchet
The Conservatives' first shot at toppling the Liberal government is doomed to fail, after Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters his MPs will vote confidence in the government.
DEVELOPING Exploding electronic devices kill 14, wound 450 in second day of explosions in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday that at least 14 people were killed and 450 others wounded by exploding electronic devices in multiple regions of the country. The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000. Here are the latest updates.
What to know about the deadly electronic explosions targeting Hezbollah
Just one day after pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded, more electronic devices detonated in Lebanon Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks that targeted an extraordinary number of people. Here's what we know so far.
Canada abstains from UN motion calling on Israel to end occupation of Gaza, West Bank
Canada abstained today from a high-profile United Nations vote demanding that Israel end its 'unlawful presence' in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank within a year.
Record-breaking Lotto Max jackpot tickets sold in Ontario, Quebec
Two lucky people in Ontario and Quebec will split Tuesday’s record-breaking $80-million Lotto Max jackpot.
Rogers Communications to buy out Bell's share of MLSE for $4.7 billion
Rogers Communications Inc. is buying out Bell's 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, giving it 75 per cent ownership of the sports conglomerate.
'I'm here for the Porsche': Video shows brazen car theft in Mississauga
Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.
'Unsightly' under-construction home must be finished or demolished, B.C. court rules
A B.C couple has been ordered to stop living in a motorhome on the property where their under-construction home – which they were first given a permit to build more than six years ago – has become an “eyesore,” according to a recent court decision.