IROQUOIS FALLS - A Northern Ontario town is inviting its residents to weigh in on the future of its iconic statue.
The Town of Iroquois Falls’ lumberjack statue, also known as Guy-Paul Treefall, needs repairs that are expected to cost over $26,000.
It’s left the town grappling with whether to repair, relocate, or remove the roadside attraction. As a result, it has launched an online survey to gather feedback from the community.
“We're a lumber town, a paper mill town, so people don't want to lose that connection, and a lot of them are saying, like, let's keep it, because that's our heritage,” said Mayor Tory Delaurier.
“But, I’m getting mixed messages. A lot of people want to see the price come down, and then they’d be more willing to keep it. If we can bring that price down a little bit, and then maybe get some funding then we can keep it, but council will have to make that decision at a future meeting.”
When TimminsToday spoke to Delaurier on Thursday, he said some other companies had reached out to the town that day who said they could possibly fix the statue for less than $26,000.
“They're coming for a site visit to give us some more options on pricing and what we have to do to fix the lumberjack,” he said.
“So there's going to be something brought to council in the very near future to make an educated decision.”
The statue was part of the original building complex on a property adjacent to Highway 11, now owned by Zieminski Real Estate Inc.
Previously, the statue had received cosmetic repairs, but a full-scale rehabilitation is now needed.
According to a license agreement established on March 31, 2021, the town is responsible for maintaining and repairing the statue, which is showing signs of significant deterioration including surface wear, damage and fading paint.
A quote from Seguin's Handyman Services estimates the cost of restoring the statue to be $26,442. This estimate includes sanding, pressure washing, patching, priming, painting, applying a clear coat, renting a man lift and cleanup of the statue.
Since this expense was not included in the 2024 approved budget, if council decides to repair the statue, it would be funded from capital reserves.
The town council’s Sept. 9 meeting featured a hefty discussion about the statue's future. Council ultimately decided to defer the decision with plans to put a survey on its website to gather feedback from the community and explore funding opportunities.
The town hasn’t determined how long the survey will be open for. It can be found here.
