The Toronto Inukshuk resides in Toronto Inukshuk Park at 789 Lake Shore Boulevard West, west of Coronation Park.
The sculpture is one of the largest of its kind in North America, according to the City of Toronto. It stands 30 feet high and its arms span 15 feet. Made of granite, it
weighs about 50 tonnes. The Inukshuk was unveiled in 2002 to commemorate World Youth Day, when Pope John Paul II visited the city.
The Inukshuk, a sculpture made up of piled stones, is a familiar symbol of the Inuit, mostly found in the Arctic landscape and often used as a navigational tool.
This Inukshuk was designed by Nunavut-born artist Kellypalik Qimirpik.
Former Mayor Mel Lastman spoke at the 2002 unveiling. His speech is engraved on this granite slab next to the Inukshuk. Part of it says:
World Youth Day has been a true navigational guide for millions of young people throughout the world. The Toronto Inukshuk invites each one of us to become beacons of light and hope, striving for justice and peace in this world.
nicely photographed Marvin.
I have to say, not a huge fan of Inukshuks generally, but have never liked this one, they should have extracted it from the rock without those obvious boreholes. You have something that is meant to be rustic and when I look at it all I can think of is industrial processes to carve the rock. But nice photos anyways. Ha ha.
Good point, Bob. It makes the whole thing look quite ragged.