Terry Fox statue moved to Sparks Street on Monday

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Ottawa’s iconic statue of Terry Fox has moved.

It had stood across from Parliament Hill at 90 Wellington St., but the statue was relocated to Sparks Street on Monday.

PSPC shared the news of the relocation in a social media post Monday morning.

Stéfanie Hamel, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), said the new location at 197 Sparks St., next to the main entrance of the Wellington Building, holds historical significance as it was part of the Marathon of Hope route that Terry Fox ran in June 1980.

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The existing commemorative plaque was also relocated and placed onto the façade of the Wellington Building.

Hamel said PSPC executed the relocation in close collaboration with Fox’s family, the artist John Hooper’s Estate, the National Capital Commission, the City of Ottawa, the Sparks Street Business Improvement Area and the Parliamentary Administrations.

The memorial sculpture was created by John Hooper in 1983.

Fox was 18 years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to have his right leg amputated six inches above the knee in 1977.

He began his Marathon of Hope at 21 years old to raise money for cancer research.

Starting in St. John’s, Nfld., he ran for 143 days, but was forced to stop on the outskirts of Thunder Bay.

Terry Fox died on June 28, 1981, one month shy of his 23rd birthday.

Hamel said the sculpture was relocated to accommodate the upcoming Block 2 Redevelopment Project, a “critical component of the long-term vision and plan” for the Parliamentary Precinct.

“This project involves extensive work to rehabilitate and modernize the buildings within the precinct, ensuring Parliament has the modern facilities needed to serve Canadians,” Hamel said.

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It was reported in 2022 that the statue would have to be moved to make space for a new building complex with offices for senators and members of Parliament. It said the runner’s family would be consulted about “an appropriate position” for his statue.

An architectural and engineering contract was awarded to Zeidler Architecture Inc., in association with David Chipperfield Architects in May 2023.

According to PSPC, the redevelopment project should be completed in the early 2030s.

Hamel said the statue will continue to be owned and maintained by the City of Ottawa, adding that there are currently no plans to place another monument in its previous Wellington St. location.

With files from the Canadian Press.

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