The iron figures are direct castings from five hand-carved and charred wooden figures that circumnavigated Canada in a 30,000 km, five-year journey. This journey took them through every province and through the Northwest Passage on a Coast Guard Icebreaker, traversing the territories, and eventually returning home.
During this time they were exposed to the elements while being transported upright in an old pickup truck, on the uppermost deck of the Coast Guard vessel, and by helicopter to a seagoing barge. The weather and the damage incurred is captured in the castings, leaving gouges, broken legs and scarring clearly visible.
Among many other things, this piece is about witnessing Canada’s changing geography. The journey was self-directed and self-funded largely by speaker and exhibition fees.