Ontario Construction News staff writer
Darrell Fox was in Toronto last week to unveil “We Are Shaped by the Obstacles We Face”, a public art project that commemorates the legacy of his brother Terry Fox.
Designed by artist Jon Sasaki and landscape architecture consultants DTAH, the work at 439 Queens Quay W., draws visitors along a curving, landscaped path obscured by one-storey-high, sculpted granite slabs. From the west end of the installation, the slabs appear as a single figure – the iconic silhouette of Terry Fox, mid-stride.
The granite sculptures design intends to inspire people to “keep pushing forward and to recognize all that can be achieved with a positive perspective.”
In 1980, with one leg amputated due to cancer, Terry Fox embarked on an east-to-west, cross-Canada run to raise funds for cancer research and awareness of the toll of the disease. His Marathon of Hope captivated the country and resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy.
The Terry Fox Legacy Art Project was funded by the City of Toronto, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Legacy Art Project Toronto, the Waterfront BIA, the Toronto Foundation and Waterfront Toronto.
More information about the Terry Fox Legacy Art Project is available on the city’s website and on the Legacy Art Project Toronto website.
The artwork will be part of the City’s Public Art & Monuments Collection.
“It’s an honor to have worked with our partners in the public and private sectors to deliver this incredible project that is close to so many Canadians’ hearts,” said Jack Winberg, chair, Waterfront Toronto Board of Directors. “This is the latest example of the incredible spirit of civic pride and generosity that, working together with government partners, can bring to life extraordinary shared public spaces that will be enjoyed for generations.”
