About a block from Parliament on Sparks Street, at the east-end of Canada’s oldest pedestrian mall, an unhappy mother bear stands glaring at passers-by.
Territorial Perogative
For years, this bronze statue of a larger-than-life grizzly bear about to devour a plump fish has been a favorite of tourists visiting Canada’s capital, especially young children. But on further reflection, the giant mammal conveys a certain tension that’s hard to put your finger on – that is, until you learn its history.
The sculpture, called “Territorial Prerogative,” is one of its creator’s most widely known works. It was designed by famed Canadian artist and sculptor Bruce Garner to focus attention on the cruelty inflicted on bears because of human population growth.
In 1990, it was commissioned by Metropolitan Life Insurance and donated to the Sparks Street Mall.
The bear’s hollow eyes and strained position are the visual source of her tension. Maybe it comes from the fact that she’s frozen in mid-action. We know she’ll never be able to eat that succulent fish caught on the tips of her sharp metal claws. She seems to long for the food, as a patron of neighbouring pub D’Arcy McGee’s might long for a pint.
This mama bear may also appear tenser now that she’s childless. Two bronze bear cubs once played among fountains at her feet, but now they’re nowhere to be seen.
As a monument to nature, the sculpture may seem out of place among downtown Ottawa’s towering cement buildings. For this sculpture was intended to make us think of those species that have suffered because of urban sprawl.