A public art installation is now on display at Mosaic Stadium.
A white bronze statue reaching 18 feet, along with three fan walls, pay tribute to the Riders, their fans, the community of Regina and the region’s indigenous heritage. Each wall weighs around 14 tons and is 20 feet long.
“Public art is an important part of the fabric of our community,” stated Mayor Michael Fougere. “The statue and fan walls help emphasize that this stadium is a true community gathering place, inclusive to all.”
“This area, along with the rejuvenated Confederation Park, will bring people together and showcase the legacy of this project, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the City of Regina.”
The statue depicts an unnamed player, with the number 13 on his jersey to represent Roughriders fans. The player is being hoisted up into the air by fans; a symbol of Rider Nation.
The statue weighs 2,000 pounds, and stands tall outside Gate Three at Mosaic Stadium. The bronze has Rider-green highlights in it, and stands on a base with an engraved message that reads: “As we evolve we try to soar higher; that soaring quest of our lives makes us who we are. In the act of sport, the fans create the lifting culture that unites us all and gives us a sense of togetherness, pride and belonging.”
“We wanted to represent two things; we wanted to represent achievement and inspiration, like really striving for something big, and we also wanted to represent the fans,” said Gregg Sauter, the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The fan walls are engraved with the names of fans who have contributed to the Build The Pride program. There is also an indigenous wall, which features both First Nations and Metis culture and the buffalo.
“We are so proud to unveil this tribute to our fans and this community.” said Craig Reynolds, Roughriders President and CEO. “We would like to recognize everyone who participated in making a contribution to the Build the Pride Campaign. We would like to specifically thank the Robert Kramer family for their significant contribution to the development of this space and their decades of support for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.”
For many of the families, having their names engraved at Mosaic Stadium means a lot.
“We did one in memory of our dad who taught us all to love football,” said Roughriders fan Helen Harvey. “(There’s) five of us who have season tickets and nieces and nephews beyond that. So football is entrenched in our family and we wanted to be a part of it.”
Many fans at Thursday’s unveiling ceremony said they were impressed with both the monument and the fan wall.
“This statue is spectacular. It really speaks for the fans, for the organization, for the province; it’s fantastic. It’s very attractive too,” Joel Greenberg said, who hasn’t missed a kickoff in 15 years. Greenberg also has his name engraved on the fan wall.
“It takes a while to find the names, but once you find it, it’s great,” he added “So this summer we’re going to do a family photo by the fan wall, it should be a great keepsake.”
Comments