amy alice thompson

Signal Pine was commissioned by the City of Ottawa and created in 2024. Located at Laroche Park in Mechanicsville (Ottawa, ON), the work is comprised of seating elements and a sculptural pine tree. This is a community that advocates for it’s trees and green space and I felt this should be recognized and celebrated in the piece.

Long before this area was called Bytowne, it was covered in Eastern White and Red pines. These trees, in conjunction with the nearby Ottawa river (where the hewn logs were sent) allowed this area’s lumber industry to prosper and thrive. The addition of the Canada Pacific rail line in the 1880’s then enabled the transport of this lumber across Ontario and Québec.

Signal Pine is an homage to the industrial roots of this community and the natural beauty that once thrived here. Patterns that allude to pine cones and steam locomotive wheels have been used on the seating elements, while the colour palette of the sculpture has been chosen to allude to pine needles, flowering pine cones and cast iron. The sculpture combines references to both the pine trees that once thrived here and the railway signal lights used to guide trains to the proper tracks. And like the railway signals, Signal Pine is meant to act as a beacon and guide.

A special thanks to my fabrication team, Christopher Davidson and the Public Art team at the City of Ottawa, and Rebecca Baird and her team for their ongoing encouragement and support.