FALL RIVER: A beautiful, majestic new metal-handmade Monarch butterfly greets people as they head up over the hill past Jamieson Park on Fall River Road.
The park, nestled between Georges P. Vanier Junior High and Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School, is HRM owned but maintained by the volunteers with the Fall River Garden Club.
Improvements have been made over the years to the park, which many motorists would pass by and may not know it’s there because it doesn’t stand out.
Among those improvements is a now installed metal Monarch butterfly, designed, and created by Brooklyn area resident Heather Lawrie-Morse, better known as Heavy Metal Heather, online. More improvements, including the planting of milkweed around the installed metal artwork is expected.
It’s hoped that will keep those who may wish to climb it or cause damage to it away.
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Fall River Garden Club’s chairman Lawrence Spencer spoke about the project and how it came about to a crowd of about 30 people, including MLA Brian Wong and Councillor Cathy Deagle Gammon at the sculpture unveiling on a cold Nov. 12.
“The idea originated when Bob and his wife Iris saw the Hummingbird sculpture in Middle Musquodoboit,” said Spencer.
“After he presented it to the club, it was agreed that we should do something similar, and thus this idea was born.”
He said we should do the Monarch butterfly as a design because their numbers are declining.
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Spencer said they saw Morse’s work and felt she was the one they would ask to make the design.
He said Fall River can now be added to the list of places in the region with something that stands out.
“We know Sydney has their big fiddle; Shediac has their Lobster; Musquodoboit Valley has their hummingbird,” he said. “And now, Fall River has the Monarch butterfly.”
MP Darrell Samson was supportive of the project as well but could not attend.
Deagle Gammon was an integral part being the liaison with HRM Parks to see the project come to fruition since it is an HRM-owned park.
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As for the artists of the butterfly, Lawrie-Morse said when the Fall River Garden Club asked her to make them a milkweed and monarch butterfly she was trying to find an easy way to do it.
“There wasn’t one,” she said with a chuckle. “It was the biggest project I’ve done yet standing at nine foot seven inches tall.”
She said the Garden Club should be commended for the great work they’re doing.
“Their commitment to educate people about the drastically declining population of the endangered species, the Monarch Butterfly holds a special place in my heart,” she said. “I make a lot of Monarchs .
“I hope this helps to engage people to do what they can to help. It would be a sad world without them (the monarch butterfly).”
