From concept to realization, there were many steps in the creation of this public art installation. Was this the original idea? Absolutely not! 

Is there ever a blueprint for a major public artwork? Not really. If there was, it wouldn’t be an original work of art. In other words, every step of the way, the artist works like a pioneer, like a trail blazer, not knowing where the trail is going to go.

Let’s talk about the design of this artwork. Look at this sketch. This wasn’t the first sketch thatI made. Initial sketches were more like the realistic two masted brigs that were constructed here in Sackville. But then, the question was, who will amotif like that represent? Surely, that speaks of the arrival of Europeans and colonialism.

The sketch is of a contemporary boat, representative of all the groups that inhabited the Tantramar region for generations – the FirstNations, the Acadians, and the Europeans. The right side of the boat is a canoe,the left is like a traditional fishing boat used by Acadians, and the sails represent the Europeans who built the sailing vessels here. Waterways were the main channel of transportation for all these groups.

This was the pattern / paper template which guided me in cutting out final pieces and laying the tiles. The final installation follows this pattern.