City of Yorkton unveils new bike locks across community’s downtown
If you’re venturing in Yorkton’s downtown core, there’s some change you might notice with a nod to reconciliation. Bike locks have been installed across the area, but if you look closely, you’ll notice some artwork within them.
The City of Yorkton and the Yorkton Tribal Council teamed up to make this creation, with the Tribal Council accepting the piece created by Saint Laurent, Manitoba’s Ruby Bruce.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device
Bruce designed the piece to include unique nods to the community and area of the Parkland. This includes elements such as Saskatoon berries, different local animals, along with their tracks they themselves create.
“The bear represents strength and bravery and good health. The deer represents vigilance and helping one another. The bird represents freedom and their tracks represent the importance of physical movement and activity. The Saskatoon berries … pay homage to local plant life,” explained Bruce, before she spoke of the reconciliation, and how she feels bringing the piece to life.
“As an Indigenous woman and an Indigenous artist, I think it's my responsibility to bring truth and reconciliation anywhere I go, really,” she explained.
“So with my art, your art is seen by all kinds of people all over the place all over the world, all over the country.”
There is set to be 25 bike locks installed through the project, which cost roughly $18,000 and was fully funded by the federal government.
In addition to the artistic side of the project, the bike racks act as an added push for people to get active, especially with rising gas prices, according to Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley.
“(We wanted) to make it more advantageous to ride a bike and get people active. I know that COVID helped out a lot because people were shelled up in their homes,” said Hippsley. “It just got him thinking about, ‘What can we do to get people out of the house?’ … Hopefully people will just say ‘I'm going to park my car, I'm going to ride my bike.’”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.