Cape Breton's iconic waterfront 'Big Fiddle' tourist attraction could be outplayed - Sydney, Nova Scotia - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

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"Cape Breton's iconic waterfront 'Big Fiddle' tourist attraction could be outplayed - Sydney artist approached by two other Canadian towns to build an even bigger fiddle

SYDNEY, N.S. — It’s a towering symbol of Cape Breton’s Celtic heritage, a tourist attraction that greets cruise ship passengers and has been shared in countless photographs around the world.

However, the famed Big Fiddle that stands outside the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion has almost played second fiddle to a larger version of the instrument, according to the man who created the 17-metre steel sculpture.

Cyril Hearn, the Whitney Pier artist who designed and built the eight-ton waterfront attraction, says he’s been approached by two other Canadian towns to build an even bigger fiddle.

“I went to Orangeville, Ont., to build a bigger fiddle because when people have an iconic piece of art like that in their neighbourhood, it draws people from everywhere to come to take pictures of it,” said Hearn, 63. “When I did the presentation, I told them that it’s a lot of money to put into a project at the start, but you’ll get your money back 10 times over by people coming through your community, taking pictures, going to restaurants, going to hotels, and spending money in your community. I said you’ll get your money back. At the time, they didn’t have the budget for the cost I estimated it would be, so they just put it on the backburner.”

A northeastern Alberta hamlet also expressed interest in one-upping the Sydney fiddle, he added.

“I spoke to a gentleman in Lac La Biche, Alta., about building a bigger fiddle. I guess the reason was because they wanted to hold the bragging rights that they own the biggest fiddle in the world. Again, they didn’t have the budget to do it at that time.”

True as steel
Officially named the Fidheal Mhor A’ Ceilidh, or the Big Ceilidh Fiddle, the Big Fiddle instantly became a waterfront landmark when it was unveiled in January 2005, said Don Rowe, who was general manager of the Sydney Ports Corp. at the time. He said the original plan was to have boatbuilders from Cheticamp construct the Big Fiddle from fibreglass and wood.

Then, Elks Fabricators Ltd., which was building the cruise pavilion, made them reconsider.

“We were looking at the time to have it built with fibreglass. The company that was in charge when we were doing this whole project, they went up to the Cheticamp area and talked to boatbuilders. Then this fabricating outfit, they were doing a lot of the fabricating for the inside of the building and they knew that we were going to build this, so they said, ‘We can build it.’”

Big Fiddle facts

- Fit as a fiddle: Billed as the largest illuminated fiddle in the world, the Big Fiddle is nearly 13 metres high while the bow stands about 17 metres, with both weighing eight tons. Built to scale, it is 20 times the size of a standard fiddle.
- Sea note: The original prototype fiddle Cyril Hearn built is now being played by a steel mermaid he is working on. “If she was standing up, she would be six feet tall,” he said.
- Rust say no: The Big Fiddle doesn’t rust because it contains pieces of zinc that are electrically linked to the structure, similar to a ship's hull.
- Bad to the bow: Over the years, several people have tried to climb the fiddle, says Peter Hill, marine facility security officer and operations supervisor. “We’ve actually had people come down and climb the darn thing. I’d say there’s been at least four people. Just back a couple of years ago was the last. Buddy hopped over and he started trying to climb it,” Hill said, adding that they erected a sign warning people not to climb the structure.
- “It’s kind of one of those things — here’s your sign, in case it’s not obvious.”
-Original soundtrack: The music playing on speakers outside the pavilion is a three-tune medley composed by Mabou fiddler Kinnon Beaton. It consists of the “Bill Butler March,” “Duncan MacKay Strathspey,” and ‘Charles Lorway Reel,” each named after people instrumental in developing the local cruise ship industry.

A welder and journeyman metal fabricator, Hearn said the project management team, Gatrill Management Associates, wasn’t sure he could do the job. So, he borrowed a fiddle from a friend and set out to prove them wrong.

“When they were trying to find somebody to build that fiddle, they couldn’t find anybody. My boss at the time, he mentioned to the project manager that I did artwork. The project manager came to my house and looked at my art — I do bald eagles, I do fish, I do horses, I do ducks … I do a lot of different artwork. They came to look at my art and they weren’t 100 per cent convinced that I was the guy to build the fiddle. So, what I did, on the weekend, on my own time, I went to work and I built a full-sized Stradivarius out of steel. I took it to work Monday and I showed it to project management. I said, ‘If I can build you this out of steel, I can build you a fiddle 42 feet out of steel. That basically convinced them that I was the guy who could build this fiddle.” "

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 09/15/2021 Publication: Saltwire Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: international News Category: Arts/Culture

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