‘Following in His Footsteps’ was conceived as both a public artwork and living path, a commemorative landscape along the Terry Fox Parkway of London, Ontario’s Thames River. Designed to inspire a unique experience for each visitor, from a morning jogger to a class of fourth graders, ‘Following in His Footsteps’ is an artwork built from raw stone materials as well as vibrant living components. Creating a distinct atmosphere for visitors passing through, as well as many educational opportunities for youth, each element of the pathway acts as a visual reference to the Terry Fox story, thought-provoking not only during the annual Terry Fox Run, but throughout the year.

The conceptual design included two visually-striking signposts mapping the cities and distances of Fox’s route. These boulders, from Newfoundland and from British Columbia, represented Fox’s cross-Canada route and the path between — concrete and gravel – nods to the textures that became his world during his run. A patterned ground surface evocative of Fox’s iconic running gait includes shoe prints to intensify the visual memory of his presence; along the way were strategically-blooming plantings native to regions across Canada.

The artwork harkens Fox’s spiritual engagement with the Canadian landscape while he travelled across the country on foot. In addition to his battle against cancer, Fox’s Marathon of Hope represented an individual rising to the challenge of the vast Canadian landscape thrown in his path. Throughout his arduous journey, Fox did something many Canadians have never done: he physically experienced the incredible scale of the country with each passing kilometre: westward from the Atlantic shore of St. John’s, Newfoundland, through to London, Ontario, and eventually to Thunder Bay.

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Location
London, ON

Client
London Arts Council, City of London

Status
Concept

Project Type
Public Art, Landscape, Commemoration

Role
Lead Artist

Collaborators
Cram Workshop

Photography
LeuWebb Projects  

Press and Awards
City of London, Urban Design Award – Honourable Mention, 2019
Canadian Architect – ”City of London announces Urban Design Awards winners,” November 2019