Well, it's a big joke here in Nova Scotia, but I'm not sure if it made it anywhere else. It's fairly typical of my hometown to have very harmless intentions, but ending up with large carvings/statues with obvious sexual inuendos - anyone from or near Truro will remember the wooden carvings of the Bearcat with awkwardly placed hockey sticks, and the infamous "humper" statue of the police officer who apparently had an interesting relationship with his german shepherd (who has since been chopped off).
These accidents are understandable when carving statues from tree stumps, as the artist must work with the shape of the stump, but the latest debacle is much less excusable.
For whatever reason, the general desire to erect (this pun will soon become apparent) large statues of supposed community significance along the highway couldn't be resisted by the neighbouring native reserve, who wanted to honour Glooscap with a 12 metre statue - related to the new "interpretive centre" they're building - just off the Trans Canada. This is what it looks like from said centre:
Glooscap's Good Side
The damned thing is scary, if you ask me, but to each his own.
Anyway, this placement means that the statue faces away from the highway, so most people who see it daily don't get the best view. This is even more true when you consider the coincidental placement of Glooscap's arm. The photo says it all:
Glooscap's Bad Side
Needless to say, there was quite a reaction by pretty much everyone, and several attempts were made to rectify the issue, including putting a spear in the outstretched hand. None of these measures worked, so more drastic alterations were needed:
Glooscap the Amputee
The arm has since been straightened and reattached, and the problem solved.
CBC Story
