The Bison - Alyesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada - Silhouette Public Art Sculptures on Waymarking.com

This metal frame bison sculpture is located along TransCanada Highway 11 (also known under name of the Louis Riel Trail) on a small north bound turn-out between the communities of Chamberlain and Aylesbury (Saskatchewan) Canada. It stand very near two historical markers: the Arm River Valley and a Buffalo Rubbing Stone.

If you drive Saskatchewan's Highway 11 between Regina and Prince Albert, "you'll see much more than open fields and hay bales. Tall metal sculptures commemorating the region's rich history stand along the highway, each one the work of Don Wilkins, a grain farmer with unbridled creativity and a fascination with the past. Armed with only a hammer, cutting torch, stick welder and pry bar, Wilkins has spent the last several winters building a sculptural history of the southern part of the province, particularly focusing on the critical role the Métis people played in the region's settlement. Four kilometers north of Chamberlain, you can see Don's two dimensional open framed buffalo sculpture".

"The large boulder near this point is a natural monument to the great herds of bison that once ranged over the entire prairie and aspen parkland and was used as a "rubbing stone". As the weather warmed in the spring, the bison used these boulders to remove their heavy winter coat. In summer, hordes of mosquitoes and biting flies tormented the bison. The bison sought relief from these insects by rubbing on these boulders to soothe their tortured hides. Over centuries of use, these boulders became polished from the consistent rubbing of the bison. The boulder itself was deposited by the last continental glacier. It originated in the Canadian Shield at least 300 miles to the North".

Source: Internet

Title of Piece: The Bison Artist: Don Wilkins Material/Media: very heavy metal wire Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): outdoor Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]

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