Euthanized Dorval bear memorialized in wood by local chainsaw artist
A bear that became a brief celebrity in Dorval this past May is getting some new-found respect.
The animal first appeared in Dorval backyards near the waterfront. Authorities told locals to stay indoors while the search got underway.
The animal was eventually captured, and then euthanized, leaving many residents outraged.
One woman who lives on Strathmore Street, near where the bear was captured, had an idea after being required to cut-down most of a 200 year-old tree on her yard.
She hired local chainsaw carving artist Dale Ruff to turn what is left of her tree into a tribute to the bear.
The 15-foot-high monument was carved in two phases, using several sizes of chainsaws.
“I drew some sketches, the owner came up with one,” says Ruff. “The result is pretty close”
The size of the statue is so imposing that people driving by regularly stop to look and take pictures.
Chainsaw carving artist Dale Ruff works on a carving of a bear that was euthanized after running through a Dorval neighbourhood on July 24, 2021. (Stephane Giroux, CTV News)
Chainsaw artist Dale Ruff carves a memorial to a bear that ran loose in a Dorval neighbourhood before being captured and euthanized on July 24, 2021. (Stephan Giroux, CTV News)
“I’m super stoked that (the owner) got me into this project. It feels good, so many people are interested. It’s not bad for a high-school drop-out”
But most of all, it’s a reminder of an instant love affair between a wild animal and a suburban population who’s routine was briefly interrupted by a visit not soon forgotten.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Behind the barricades: How protesters spend their first days in a new encampment
Students in Montreal describe life in a newly erected encampment in Montreal as a whirlwind of preparations, from facing rain and a potential police crackdown to setting up a space for the exchange of ideas.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Next 48 hours will be 'extremely challenging' for B.C. wildfire crews near Fort Nelson: officials
A wildfire burning dangerously close to Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown to more than 50 square kilometres, and officials are warning that the blaze's behaviour is expected to become more volatile over the next 48 hours.
Southern Ont. man charged with attempted murder in Timmins shooting
One of two men wanted for attempted murder in Timmins has been arrested, while a warrant has been issued for a second suspect, who fled police on foot.