Art In Public Places Artwork Revealed For Canada 150 Project

Migration lands in centre of St. Anne Street roundabout

After extensive public consultation, the award-winning, Québec-based Artist Team of Jean-François Cooke and Pierre Sasseville (also known as Cooke-Sasseville) have been selected to create their artwork titled Migration in recognition of Canada’s 150th Anniversary.

This Canada 150 project will be the City’s largest single artwork commission to date and is set for installation during the fall of 2018 in the centre of the St. Anne Street roundabout. Composed of three golden-yellow sculptures, from a distance Migration will resemble stalks of wheat. Upon further inspection, residents will discover 72 Canadian geese featured in the piece—systemically arranged and ready for their yearly journey. Building off the sense of community essential to successful migration, the geese embody group strength, while the sheaf of wheat reminds us of the importance of agriculture to Canada’s economic and social development post-confederation. As Cooke-Sasseville state,

The communities that forged the identity of St. Albert are represented in a symbolic, monumental piece that overlooks the site of integration, towering nearly 10 metres above. Seemingly all heading in the same direction, our Canada geese illustrate community spirit, mutual aid, and achieving common goals.