CIty Makes Choice in Artist For Special Sculpture

By 250 News

Regional artist, Bert deVink of Quesnel, will create a sculpture to honour workers who have  been injured or killed on the job.  The piece will be  made of steel and will be displayed  at the foot of Connaught Hill  Park on the southwest corner of Patricia Boulevard and Queensway Street.

The structure will look like twisted, collapsing steel, and will incorporate a brass textured sun and bird, two special symbols explains the artist "The expressions of hope, love and strength produced by the bird combined with the warming and healing light of the sun gives an emotional but positive feeling to a monument that honours killed and injured workers" say deVink.

Jointly sponsored by the Prince George and District Labour Council and the City of Prince George, the project will also incorporate four flag poles which will be used every April 28th  as part of the Day of Mourning Ceremony.

The project is sponsored by the Prince George and District Labour Council with the assistance of the City of Prince George. "We wanted a piece that could represent people from all walks of life, from heavy industry to the service industry whether they are management, union or non-union" says Marnie Grafton of the Labour Council.

In  2002, statistics  show that 232 workers died from a work related injury or disease, 5000 workers were permanently injured and 5 young workers between 15 and 24 years old died on the job.

The sculpture is expected to be complete by the  spring of 2007.

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