Most of a street art installation meant to draw attention to crumbling heritage assets in the city has been taken down, but the artist behind it feels his point was made.
‘Lionel,’ as he’s known, believes the work was removed because it “embarrassed” city officials to highlight what he called the city’s neglect of a designated, municipally-owned heritage feature.
City officials, however, point to other reasons.
“The whole idea of it was to provoke change, was to actually draw attention to it,” Lionel said, referring to the deteriorating condition of McQuillan’s Bridge over the Eramosa River on Stone Road, which was constructed in 1916. “If there's enough continual talk about it … hopefully it can be saved.”
On the night of July 18, Lionel and others wrapped the bridge’s columns and rails in orange material in an effort to draw attention “to the precarious state of a cultural icon and popular pedestrian crossing.”
Nearly all of the project was removed under the direction of city officials on July 30. All that remains is the title of the work – ‘Demolition by Neglect’ – which is painted on the side of the bridge.
“While the goal of the installation may have been public discourse about public art and heritage structures, we cannot condone or permit unsanctioned or unauthorized installations or work to take place on city structures,” Danna Evans, the city’s general manager of culture and recreation, told GuelphToday via email.
Within days of the installation going up, city officials reached out to Lionel via Instagram and then email to inform him the work would be taken down because of concern it may trap moisture and lead to further deterioration of the bridge.
In those communications, the city sought to have a conversation with Lionel about the timing of the project’s removal.
This prompted Lionel to send the city’s top lawyer a ‘cease and desist’ letter, urging officials to hold off on removing it and explaining the material was specifically chosen and displayed so as to not cause additional deterioration.
However, the removal went ahead.
“I'm not entirely certain any conversation or process was really authentic because by the time I would have responded, it was already down,” said Lionel, noting his initial idea was to paint the bridge but that changed after consulting with heritage experts.
In response to concerns about moisture being trapped against the bridge’s concrete surface, Lionel said, “While that's plausible, I don't think it's at all reasonable because there's just as valid to suggest that it would have worked like a solar draw and pulled the water out of it.”
The covering may also have prevented rainfall from reaching the concrete, he added.
Lionel hoped the installation would remain in place until the city took steps to repair the bridge, which is regularly used by children’s groups and hikers to cross the river.
Released in December, a report from city staff following the bridge’s latest condition assessment identifies its condition as “poor.” It goes on to state an environmental assessment of the bridge is expected to begin this year, with design work forecast in the budget to occur in 2026.
“I will be shocked if the outcome is anything other than demolition,” Lionel said of staff recommendations to city council that flow from that environmental assessment, which is meant to identify options for city council to consider regarding the bridge’s fate. “At the end of the day, the buck does stop (at city council).”
McQuillan’s Bridge is an early example of reinforced concrete bow string truss construction or tied arch span, built to replace an earlier wooden bridge, explains a post on the city’s website. It gets its name due to its proximity to lots cleared and settled by the McQuillan family.
