City of Brantford Council officially gave staff final approval to continue exploring alternative options to preserve the welcoming sculpture at the Brantford and Area Sports Hall of Recognition during its regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
The sculpture depicts a young hockey player tying their skates, and serves as a welcoming feature to the Brantford and Area Sports Hall of Recognition.
The item was first brought to council’s attention earlier this year on March 18, after a report came forward calling for the statue to be removed from the sports hall as it had acquired substantial damage since it was donated back in 2013.
“The sculpture, serving as a welcoming feature to the Sports Hall of Recognition within the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, has suffered structural damage,” read the original report. “The sculpture, designed to mimic the appearance of bronze, is fabricated from composite materials, including fiberglass, Bondo, and paint, to replicate a bronze-like finish. As a result, the materials have cracked in several areas and are beginning to chip away. Furthermore, the armature and the sculpture’s body interface have sustained impact damage associated with the public climbing on or striking the artwork.”
A professionally accredited conservator from Conservation of Sculptures, Monuments and Objects (CSMO) had estimated that it would cost $8,235.00 to repair the sculpture.
The report went on to say that because the piece was not part of the City’s Public Art Collection, it was unable to allocate funds from the Public Art Reserve Fund to go forward with the repairs.
Having discussed the cost with both the Sports Hall Executive Committee and the original donors, both came to the conclusion that their funds and/or fundraising efforts would be better utilized elsewhere.
Having ultimately deferred the item for one cycle, it officially came back to council at the Committee of the Whole, Planning and Administration meeting on April 15.
At that time, Councillor Dan McCreary shared some positive news with the rest of council.
“We’ve had a very generous offer from a member of the community to fund the necessary repairs,” he said. “So, I’ll be engaging staff to get together with that individual to explore the options available to us.”
He then proposed a change to the recommendation that would direct staff to explore alternative options to preserve the sculpture.
“The amendment does not say the timeframe because we’re not sure how long discussions may take, but it looks to be very favourable, and I think it would be in our best interest if we can preserve the artwork,” said McCreary. “It’s enjoyed by everybody under the age of 15 that comes in that building; they like to pose with it and that’s part of the problem because sometimes they like to sit on the artworks lap.”
Councillor Rose Sicoli said she was in favour of the change.
“I’m definitely going to be supporting the amendment, and I’m filled with gratitude for this mysterious donor in the community who is going to help us fix this statue,” said Sicoli.
She said that after the meeting in March, she received an email from a resident in the community pointing out that it wasn’t just a sculpture of a hockey player, but of a little girl hockey player lacing up her skates.
“I think it’s really important that we preserve the statue,” continued Sicoli. “We can’t really underestimate the value of having a female image promoting inclusion in a predominantly male dominated sport. I’m really glad that we’re going to have someone local, and in the community, looking at making these repairs.”
Councillor Mandy Samwell also shared the same view point as Sicoli, noting that she was happy to hear that it could potentially be saved.
“Imagine walking into the Gretzky Centre for the first time, and seeing yourself reflected there by a welcoming statue of a little girl ready to play hockey and the impact that that has,” she said. “It says’ sports are for everyone, and you belong here.’”
While McCreary never did mention who the mysterious donor was, or when the plans to repair the sculpture would come forward, City staff intend to bring back more information later on in Q2 of 2025.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
