Canada’s horse honoured with Upper Canada Village sculpture

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In a ceremony fit for a national symbol of Canada, the new bronze sculpture of the Little Iron Horse, le Cheval Canadien, the Canadian, was unveiled on Friday afternoon at the gates of Upper Canada Village.

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In searing heat, guests sat rapt as donors were honoured and the history of the little Iron Horse that could was told. The one-horsepower engine that cleared the lands of Lower and Upper Canada helped to forge a nation.

It was all made possible by the vision and determination of a small group of dedicated individuals, most notably Darlene Burns and Don Cook, who for the past decade have worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition along with artist Dave Sheridan, who brought their vision to life in creating the sculpture.

“This monument shows the rich history we have here in Upper Canada, where Ontario began, a history that needs to be told,” said Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities and Member of Provincial Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Nolan Quinn.

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“It’s a wonderful day for the Cheval Canadien,” added Bob Runciman, chairman of the St Lawrence Parks Commission.

“To have this magnificent sculpture grace the entrance of Upper Canada Village makes so much sense given the major role the Canadian horse plays at Upper Canada, as it plows the fields, pulls the stagecoach and tows the scow along the canal.”

Dr Kelly Ferguson, a Lanark veterinarian, was honoured in her role bringing the Canadian Horse to the attention of Parliament, where it was recognized as the national horse of Canada in 2002.

“The Canadian Horse was the agricultural engine of its day. No other animal has worked harder beside our ancestors than the Canadian helping to build this country on one horsepower,” she said.

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The history of the Canadian dates to the horses sent from the stable of Louis XIV to New France to clear the land in the 17th century.

“He sent only his finest horses of Breton and Normandy descent. Despite harsh conditions these horses flourished for the next 150 years. They cleared the land, ploughed the fields and were the main source of transport. Though small, they developed a hardiness not known in any other breed. They were sought as mounts in the Civil War, the Boer War and WWI,” she said.

Officially becoming a breed in 1886, it has been on the brink of extinction twice in its history and was twice denied being deemed a national symbol of Canada, she said.

But fortunes changed in 2000, when Ferguson was helped by her neighbour, Senator Lowell Murray, and MP Murray Calder to bring the Canadian to the attention of Parliament, and in April 2002 the Canadian became the national horse of Canada.

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Ferguson quoted author Larry Scanlan: “These horses, on whose powerful bodies the history of this nation has been etched, are our horses. For that reason alone, they deserve a future and not just a glorious past.“

“This statue that is being presented today will be a proud reminder to all Canadians and visitors from around the world of the major role that this little horse has played in our past present and future, and that we are proud to call it our national horse of Canada, a symbol of our country,” concluded Ferguson.

Katy Harrouart, president of The Canadian Horse Breeders Association, and Rhonda Turley of Cheval Canadien Association Ontario, read the names of the many donors on the plaque that accompanies the statue.

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“In a hundred years, the Canadian horse will still be with us to bear witness to the Iron Horse that helped forge this country,” said Harrouart.

The final gesture was a symbolic passing of the reigns from the Canadian Horse Sculpture committee to The St Lawrence Parks Commission/Upper Canada Village staff to care for the statue.

Don Cook, who has a long association with the horses of Upper Canada Village, said the committee has signed an agreement that it will give the gift of the statue, on behalf of all the donors and all the people who have created this sculpture, to the St Lawrence Park commission, and in return the commission will maintain the statue as long as it is in operation.

“I look at the head and it’s a very kind head. When I look at the body, I see a horse working, pulling very hard, and when I look at that stump, I see a horse that says: ‘that stump is coming out of the ground’ and is determined to succeed. These are three attributes that the Canadian horse has: kind, hardworking and determined to succeed at whatever the task,” added Cook.

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“Dr Ferguson said the Canadian horse is a Canadian success story. When we look at these plaques, we see the sane names over and over. Families with successful Canadian stories, the Joyces, the Hudsons and the Beattys, and what do they all have in common, they’re kind, hardworking and determined to succeed at whatever the task. We want visitors from all over the world now to see the role the Canadian horse played in our history. We want them to know that this lifestyle we have today is something this horse gave to us. We want those visitors, and we want their children and their children’s children, to know that we as a nation are kind, hardworking and determined to succeed.”

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