AMHERST – A trio of tree carvings moved to make way for the refurbishment of Victoria Square have found a new home.
The carvings, stored in the town garage since the project started last year, will be relocated within the downtown and should be back in place soon.
“In order to accommodate the renovations to Victoria Square, the tree carvings were removed and stored for future use,” Amherst’s director of planning and development Jason MacDonald told the town’s June committee-of-the-whole meeting on Monday.
The carving of the piper, that was located near the cenotaph at the top of the square on Victoria Street, will be put in place in the park in front of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Mural on the corner of Ratchford and Havelock Street.
The carvings of the Acadian-era woman and boy are being put in place on Havelock Street where the former Bird’s Drapery Building was located prior to its demolition last year.
The carving of the boy was put in storage in April 2011 after it was struck by a snowplow.
“Using the tree carvings will generate interest in the area,” MacDonald said in his report to council. “They will add a visual element which improves the aesthetics of the downtown and could lead to more people spending more time downtown. It’s another small step in our Centre First Strategy.
The carvings were completed several years ago by Bruce Hebert from diseased trees.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
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