Artist’s image of planned monument to nation’s building trades. Canadian Building Trades UnionIn an effort to commemorate the workers who have helped shape Canada’s construction industry, including the capital’s streetscape, the Canadian Building Trades Union is erecting a downtown Ottawa monument in their honour — just in time for Canada’s 150th birthday.
The union held a country-wide design competition to determine what the monument would look like, with the winning submission coming from Halifax.
“I don’t think people are really conscious of how the trades have built the country,” said John Greer, one of the monuments designers. “When this opportunity came up, I was really excited about dedicating something to the workers, because of the invisible nature of tradesmen.”
The $1.2-million monument will be installed in Major’s Hill Park, overlooking Parliament Hill across the Rideau Canal’s entrance bay. It will consist of a black granite base, and etchings of the “iconic tools of the trade” used by each of the 14 unions sponsoring of the monument, including carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and more.
“I think (the union) recognized that it would be a value to its members to also feel that they are as important as the politician who receives a statue, or the other things we determine are of value in our society,” said Annie Hillis, the project’s public art consultant.
One of the main features of the monument is the plumb bob, one of the oldest craftsmen’s tools used to measure vertical correctness when constructing a building. Greer said he used the plumb as an inspiration for the design, and as a symbol of how all buildings are aligned with the centre of the Earth through gravity.
“When we stand up, we represent that ourselves,” he explained. “We have a similar shape, and we as people are connected to the earth in the same way.”
The design created by Greer and his partner Brian MacKay-Lyons was chosen from a group of finalists because it truly represented the timelessness of the trades, said Hillis.
“There was a sense of permanence in the piece, which people were really captivated by,” she said. “The materials involved will make the monument a very striking place.”
Historic buildings such as the Parliament Buildings, Lord Elgin Hotel and other structures in Centretown are there thanks to the workers who not only built them, but sometimes lost their lives in the process.
David Jeanes, president of Heritage Ottawa, said the organization is concerned with the conservation of historic buildings and offers tours to help educate the public about built heritage.
One notable historic trades-related fatality is that of mason Charles Devlin, who fell during the construction of the Parliament Buildings in 1861, and died from his injuries.
The unveiling is expected in May 2017.
The men and women who design, build and maintain our buildings are often gone by the time they are unveiled for public use, explained Hillis, so in that way the workers often fall under the radar.
“One of the reasons I love where the monument is being installed is as you look around you see so many examples of Canada’s built heritage and achievements that crafts people have made,” said Hillis. “This is the perfect spot for this monument.”
The project is a work in progress, but the construction seems to be on track, explained Greer.
“We’re working on it pretty much everyday,” he said. “The granite work is currently being produced in Quebec, and we expect to have it open on time in the spring.”