Lonsdale Quay Fountain in North Vancouver to be removed
Posted September 21, 2023 2:48 pm.
Last Updated September 21, 2023 2:49 pm.
The City of North Vancouver says the Lonsdale Quay Fountain at the South Plaza is scheduled to be removed beginning next week.
The removal will be done in a two-phased approach beginning on Sept. 25, the city said in a media release Thursday.
The 37-year-old fixture features a fountain with an accompanying metal sculpture called “White Winds,” by artist Gerald Gladstone. The sculpture is meant to represent a celebration of recreational boating in the Burrard Inlet, the city says. There is also an ocean-themed mosaic incorporated in the basin of the fountain by artist Bruce Walther.
The city says the White Winds sculpture will be “carefully removed with every effort made to repurpose it on-site,” with the mosaic “photo documented for archival purposes.”
The fountain has been out of commission since 2020 due to what the city calls a “full mechanical failure and safety considerations.” The city says repairing the fixture would be too expensive.
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North Vancouver city council endorsed the removal of the fountain in April of this year.
“We thank artist Bruce Walther for the beautiful tilework and the family of White Winds artist Gerald Gladstone for artwork that has delighted so many over the past two decades it has been in Lower Lonsdale,” the city said.
The first phase of the project will see the fountain removed and temporary asphalt laid to cover the area. That is expected to be completed in two weeks.
The second phase, expected to last four to six weeks, will involve a full demolition of the area and installation of permanent concrete.
Once that’s done, the city says the area will be expanded to include seating, with final designs expected to be determined next year.
-With files from Mackenzie Fleet
