The brother of Terry Fox is calling the move of his older sibling’s statue in Ottawa one of “significance,” now that it stands along Fox’s route through the national capital during his “Marathon of Hope.”
Fox’s statue previously stood across from Parliament Hill at 90 Wellington St., but in June, a team of experts from Public Services and Procurement Canada completed the relocation of the sculpture to Sparks Street a half-block south. The federal government says the move was to accommodate construction for the redevelopment of Block 2 of the Parliamentary precinct, but Darrell Fox says it means much more.
“I was here in 1980, almost this exact spot when Terry ran down Sparks Street mall and finished his run that day right here,” Darrell Fox told Global News in an interview.
“Historically, it has significance because Terry ran here and was here, and this is an incredible place for Terry to be because it allows people to actually engage with him. … Our family is very excited that he’s here now.”
The Terry Fox Memorial Sculpture was installed in 1983 and created by Canadian artist John Hooper.
Hooper’s son, also named John, told Global News he believes the move to Sparks Street would be “exactly” what his dad would have wanted.
“So much of his work is interactive and he wants people to be involved with the statue, so this worked out really well,” John said.
John said his dad, a sculptor by profession, was used to working on big commission jobs but Fox’s statue was unique and “terrifying” because it was the first he’d been asked to work in bronze.
Asked how his father, who died in 2006, would feel about the new location, John said the old locations weren’t accessible.
“He’ll see people touching him (the statue) and standing beside him in photos,” John said. “Dad’s work, he always wanted it accessible, it was a big part of his life, which is his way.”
Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement the relocation was a way to once again “honour this Canadian hero and his remarkable contribution to our collective history.”
Darrell recalled his brother’s run as he made his way through Ottawa, saying it was a “significant moment” because the pedestrian street saw residents “out in force.”
“They lined the whole mall and Terry picked up on that enthusiasm and energy and … I’m there right now, I’m seeing it right now,” Darrell said, adding his arrival to Ottawa during the marathon was his “best welcome so far.”
The Marathon of Hope began in St. John’s, N.L., with a mission to raise funds for cancer research. Fox had planned to run more than 7,500 km to British Columbia. But after more than four months of running, Fox had to stop his marathon in Thunder Bay, Ont., in September 1980 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
His story didn’t end, however, as his namesake foundation has raised more than $850 million for cancer research to date, with the annual Terry Fox Run taking place across the country. This year’s iteration ran this past Sunday.
“Canadians haven’t forgotten Terry running across the country, but more importantly, we haven’t forgotten his dream of eradicating cancer,” Darrell said.
“It’s the story of Terry Fox, the story of an average person and humble person who gave everything to help other people, and I think we can all relate to that as Canadians because that defines who we are as a people.”