A species of beetle is decimating ash trees in the West Island of Montreal, leaving many wondering what to do with the rest of it.
Beacon Hill Elementary is the latest to hop on a movement growing in popularity to give an old tree a new life.
“We had a lovely ash tree that was probably planted when the school was built 55 years ago and it provided us with shade,” said Beaconsfield elementary school principal Susan Hamblin Brayne.
When the tree, located in the school’s outdoor classroom, was felled at the hands of emerald ash borers, she wanted something to commemorate the once integral part of the school.
Through word of mouth and with a vision in mind, Hamblin Brayne was put in touch with local hobby carver Dale Ruff.
“At first, I’d seen that he did bears and I thought that would be a great idea, but when he saw how much tree we had, he said it was just too tall to do one bear,” said Hamblin Brayne.
The two brainstormed to come up with the concept of a teacher and students, and Ruff said from there he ran with it.
The largest part of the sculpture is a smiling welcome bear with books in paw. A wise owl sits on top of the bear’s head to represent teachers, and three smaller owls are scattered throughout to symbolize students.
It took Ruff 13 hours over a weekend to transform the nine-foot stump.
“Whatever doesn’t belong there, I block it out with a big saw, then you get to the finer detail and then after the detail, you have to burn it, sand it and then varnish it,” he said.
While explaining the process, he added that almost each intricate detail is completed using a chainsaw.
“Now I can almost thread a needle with a chainsaw, so I can do 99 per cent of it with a chainsaw,” Ruff said.
When Beacon Hill Elementary students returned to the school on Monday, they were floored by the sculpture.
“I just expected it to be a regular day,” said grade three student Kayla Broadbridge. “Then we all saw the big bear there and we were all really excited to see it.”
Staff and students agree that the sculpture gives them a newfound appreciation for the outdoor space.
“Before, everybody wasn’t paying attention to the log, it was just a big log everybody was running around it, like it wasn’t important,” said grade three student Liam Newton. “Now, it’s a big statue and everybody looks at it when they pass.”
Ruff said for a carver like him who does this as a side project, their reactions are gratifying. To know he’s played a role in something that will hopefully last indefinitely is priceless.
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