From the City of North Vancouver: "The equestrian sculpture and historic water trough pays homage to those who trod before us. Horses ascending from the waterfront on the left side hauled supplies up the steep incline [of Lonsdale Ave] to developing commercial and residential sites. The path formed by stainless steel hoof prints leads to the place where horses paused for a much needed rest. "
As always, I'm struggling with the terms 'development' and the fact that the road is there instead of the forest, that much of this history is written as a celebration when we should recognize the displacement. I make a conscious decision to celebrate the current moment and to see beauty.
According to North Shore Heritage, the trough is historical: "But why is it on the left hand side of the road? Up until 1922, traffic in BC followed the British system."
The Museum of North Vancouver Archives (MONOVA) says about the trough: "Horse Trough in Victoria Park West, built in 1915. "This trough, which is carved from a single piece of grey granite, was used by horses pulling loads up and down Lonsdale Ave."
The Long Ascent statue was created by Veronica de Nogales Leprevost, born in Barcelona, and Edwin Timothy Dam, of Dutch and Friesian descent and native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Recognizing her talent, the Provincial Gallery of Catalunya, Spain offered Veronica a solo sculpture exhibition, first in Spain, and soon after honoured her works in Paris. Her works were subsequently taken on by galleries in Spain and Brussels.
Married after eight months, they began to exhibit together, and then through the combination of strengths and passions, began to create together. Combining the abstract with the figurative, and iron with bronze, their works increased in magnitude and in power. Now all works are done together, signed under the unified name Dam de Nogales. [Source: their website]
Echoes of the Iron Horse for the main square of Highgate, Ontario
In 2007 the sculptors dedicated themselves to three equestrian based works, "The Long Ascent" for Victoria Park of North Vancouver; "Echoes of the Iron Horse" for the main square of Highgate, Ontario pictured on the left and below, and
Screen scrape from Google Map
... and two works for the Calgary Stampede, Calgary, AB, both installed in 2008: "The Ride" and "Courage and Thunder" : "This sculpture’s low and high relief work captures the essence of the chuckwagon teams stampeding and pounding together in close competition."
All these creatures seem to have a defined head and outlined bodies.
Interestingly, these artists also created "Swale", the statue next to MEC in North Vancouver and at the entrance to Lynmouth park.
Large pile of stumps and logs from clearing land to establish Victoria Park. Donkey Engine, Monova item 502, 190?
Aerial view, Monova item #15881, 1926
[Image source: Museum of North Vancouver Archive Search]
[From: Canada's Historic Places] "Victoria Park is located on and bisected by Lonsdale Avenue at Keith Road and now surrounded by a high-density residential area. This urban park is 3.9 hectares in size and includes a lawn and trees, paths, a 1923 cenotaph, a 1915 granite horse trough, and a Cold War air raid siren.
The heritage value of Victoria Park is associated with its role as the first and central component of a rectilinear system of boulevards and parks known as North Vancouver's "Green Necklace." [Read more about the history of the "Green Necklace" here.]
The Victoria Park property was donated to the City of North Vancouver by A. St. George Hamersley, Isabella Maud Hamersley, and the North Vancouver Land and Improvement Company in 1905. Local residents began the task of clearing the land, which was later completed by a private contractor. By 1910 it was laid out as a picturesque promenade park with formal paths lined with traditional European tree species, including black locusts, horse chestnuts, birch, copper beeches, English hawthorns and big leaf maples."
Again - noting the historical issues with this land being 'property that was donated'.
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