Mermaid sculpture finds permanent home alongside West Nipissing bay
A large mermaid sculpture, which was purchased by the Sturgeon Falls Beautification Group four years ago, has found a permanent resting place overlooking Minnehaha Bay.
Basking in the sun and perched on a rock near the bay is West Nipissing's not-so-little mermaid.
Named Marina, she's seven feet long from head to fluke and she weighs about 200 pounds.
"Our goal is to not only beautify, but to have attractions or pieces of art for people to talk about and come and see," said the beautification group's founder Gayle Primeau.
Marina was in municipal storage for the past three years as the municipality and the beautification group tried to find a permanent location.
That is until just recently, the group acquired a piece of vacant private property near the bay for her to rest.
"It's a relief because you know residents paid and for this to see Marina out," said Primeau.
"So for myself and for the group it's a relief."
Council had a few concerns about whether the sculpture should be located on municipal property.
It feared the sharp metal in the sculpture's hair and scales could injure someone climbing on it or someone taking a photo with it. The municipality didn't want to take the risk.
"It really fell around liability if someone gets hurt, the municipality ends up being liable for that," said West Nipissing Mayor Kathleen Rochon.
"We live in a society where municipalities end up as targets of lawsuits."
Rochon said council "tried its hardest" to find a solution that would benefit all parties. Council also found out installing the sculpture on public property at a height not accessible to the public would have cost $18,000.
Rochon, however, is pleased with the location where Marina can been seen but not accessed.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"We're really happy that the beautification group found a good home for Marina," she said.
Now with a permanent home, Marina the mermaid will be keeping a watchful eye on the calm, soothing waters.
"I'm very happy. She welcomes everybody to come to the bay," said Primeau.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.