By Watefront Shores Partners

Several popular winter events are back again this year, along with an eye-catching public art installation, brought by the Waterfront Shores Partners.

A giant 25-ft northern cardinal overlooking the ice rink at Pier 8 is catching visitors’ and residents’ eyes this winter. In an exciting first for the city, the Waterfront Shores Partners – the team behind the future Pier 8 mixed-use redevelopment – has brought a new public art installation, called Wildlife-guard Chair. The installation is part of the annual international design competition Winter Stations and marks the first time it is introduced to Hamilton.

The artists, Mickael Minghetti and Andrés Jimenez Monge from France and Canada drew inspiration from the Northern Cardinal Bird seen on the shores of Lake Ontario. The public art installation will be on display as part of Hamilton’s WinterFest until March 6th, and the station can be viewed adjacent to the Pier 8 ice rink.
The annual Winter Stations competition, entering its eighth year, invites designers, artists, and architects from around the world to create bold designs that spark conversation and draw people to experience the waterfront and outdoors during the winter.

Bruce Kuwabara, a founding partner of internationally acclaimed KPMB Architects, and part of Pier 8’s design team, was a jury member this year.

“The Wildlife-guard Chair is an animated sculpture – it’s fun, colourful and creates an impactful statement along the waterfront. It’s a reflection of the beautiful landscape that surrounds us at Pier 8,” says Kuwabara.

The launch of Pier 8’s Winter Station was marked by an opening ceremony hosted on February 17th by Waterfront Shores Partners, alongside Andrés Jiménez Monge, one of the artists of Wildlife-guard Chair, Kuwabara and community members.
Closing out the month, on February 26th, the Waterfront Shores Partners and the North Central Community Association came together to host a Pancake Breakfast at the Eva Rothwell Centre. The annual event, which was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, returned this year, bringing community members together over warm coffee, pancakes and sausages.

“Public art and cultural and community events are what make a community so special. They are experiences we can all share that foster a strong sense of community,” says Joe Valela, Principal of Tercot Communities on behalf of The Waterfront Shores Partners. “We’re thrilled to play role in bringing some of these beloved events back again this year.”

This year, Waterfront Shores Partners is also proud to support the WinterFest festival, sponsoring a geodesic dome at the WinterFest Hub at Auchmar House, hosting a diverse mix of artists, crafters and product developers.

To learn more and upcoming news about Pier 8, visit: https://pier8living.com.