By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

‘Face-Off’ ghost statue unveiled at Servus Arena

Apr 18, 2018 | 12:03 PM

The City of Red Deer has unveiled the latest installment in its public art Ghost Collection.

‘Face-Off’ now sits outside the entrance to the brand new Servus Arena and brings the total number of ghosts to 11 throughout the downtown area.

The bronze depicts a hockey referee dropping the puck between two pee wee players. The numbers on their jerseys – 52 and 18 – represent the years in which the former Red Deer Arena and Servus Arena each opened their doors. It is also the first ghost statue which does not depict a specific person.

Victoria, BC-born artist Nathan Scott is its creator.

“It’s a wonderful collection [Red Deer has]. I’m so honoured to be a part of this, it’s great,” Scott said at the big reveal Wednesday morning. “This is a little bit of a different sculpture for me. I can’t skate and I‘ve never played hockey and so I had to watch my very first hockey game too. I’m very happy with it and I hope you are too.”

Plate cap removal

Taxi drivers protest proposed Vehicle for Hire bylaw changes in Red Deer

1h ago

are you convinced?

Roughly 300 Red Deerians attend first byelction forum for new city councillor

3h ago

Two Of Them

Red Deer road closures

8h ago

Former Hunting Hills art teacher and current chair of the Public Art Commission Allan MacIntyre said there were 12 options the commission had to choose from.

“This sculpture will be hard not to smile at and think about your past, but it also looks to the future, which is an amazing thing for a work of art to do,” MacIntyre said. “This sculpture honours a sport that is so deeply ingrained in the fibre of canada. The nation’s response to the recent terrible tragedy in Humboldt attests to this.”

City Manager Craig Curtis noted the sculpture was funded with dollars from the arena’s original budget, which included funds for public art. Per City policy, one per cent of all capital projects is allocated for public art.

The bronze cost approximately $150,000 to commission.