ANTIGONISH: A bronze statue that was tucked into a corner of town hall and not being utilized to its fullest extent has found a new home.
Councillor Andrew Murray pitched the idea to re-locate the bronze statue to the pioneer cemetery along the town’s Main Street during the regular council meeting on June 20, which passed with a unanimous vote.
“It’s been squished into a corner on a very terrible pedestal. And I’ve been trying for 20 years to get this outside,” Murray told council. “In fact, I made a promise to a retiring councillor, and I quote ‘You promised me that you would get that outside before you leave here.’”
After trying five different places and nothing seeming to work, it wasn’t until Murray stated working on the pioneer cemetery heritage restoration project that he figured out where this statue should finally be located.
The statue, which was donated to the town in 1981, is called “Nova Scotia Pioneers” and features a farmer and his horse pulling a plow. The cemetery in question that will now be the site for the statue is the location of 1,100 remains of the town’s Scottish and Irish ancestors.
“Seventy-five per cent who were farmers,” Murray said. “So this project will be enclosed by several fences. There’s a light, it’s going to be well protected.”
Putting the cart before the horse, the town councillor advised that during the last committee meeting, he asked if council would be interested in having the statue in the graveyard.
“Half of them had never seen it before. But they thought it was absolutely beautiful and they would have loved to have it,” Murray said. “It would still be the property of the Town of Antigonish and would have a proper place and a very appropriate location.”
Councillor Diane Roberts indicated she thought it was a wonderful idea to re-locate the statue to a more fitting location, while Sean Cameron advised the statue previously was outside and a piece of it was broken.
“It has been repaired, and it was repaired so that probably wouldn’t happen again,” Murray said of the horses harness. “It was also on Main Street, this will be behind fencing, and will probably be safer over there than it was on Main Street.”
Councillor Mary Ferrell advised she thinks it’s very fitting to think about their former pioneers that came and developed the Antigonish community.
“To have a nod to our past; if you don’t know where you came from, you’ll never know where you’re going,” Farrell said. “I think this is a perfect way in doing this. I think this needs to be enjoyed and I think it’s going to have a perfect forever home.”