New Collingwood statue sending message of inclusivity
A new statue in downtown Collingwood is aiming to send a message that everyone is welcome in the community.
On Thursday night 'Dare to Dream,' a statue featuring a rhinoceros with rainbow coloured balloons was officially unveiled. The project is a creation by William Hung, a Toronto-based artist, who was commissioned for the new LGTBQ-themed statue.
“So I wanted to do something optimistic and hopeful to inspire, especially the youth in our community to be proud of who they are," Hung says.
The rhinoceros is a symbol of LGTBQ resistance from the 1970's, says Hung, while each of the balloons represents the same colours of the original Pride flag.
The idea for the statue came from Rainbow Club in Southern Georgian Bay. The club, hurt by recent incidents south of the border targeting LGTBQ members, wanted to be able to send a message that everyone is welcome in Collingwood.
"When the town of Collingwood chose for it to be LGTBQS themed, it really makes a big statement that our municipality, our governance is all in support of our community and there is an economic impact with having LGTBQS visitors who are going to come here because they feel welcomed," says John Miller, the club's president.
Miller brought the idea to make the new statue LGTBQ-themed to the town's council. The new mayor says inclusivity is a key priority.
"You can feel the vibe in town here now and I think when you have a more diverse community you have more things going on and more interesting discussions and things brought to the table," says Hamlin.
You can find the statue in the town down the street from the public library.
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