Artist and city to decide together on safety changes for rock sculpture | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

Artist and city to decide together on safety changes for rock sculpture

Raven's Nest, the sculpture in Riverside Park remains blocked off while city officials determine if its structural integrity is compromised

KAMLOOPS - A city supervisor says before potential changes to the Raven’s Nest sculpture in Riverside Park move forward a structural engineer’s report will be brought forward to the artist.

Changes were proposed by Kamloops’ parks department after a woman caught fire in the small space beneath the sculpture’s five large carved boulders last month. Parks supervisor Shawn Cook says officials blocked off the piece because its structural integrity may be compromised and to prevent future incidents while they decide on whether changes are warranted.

“There’s got to be a safety component now that it’s been disturbed,” he says.

Cook says the rocks shifted when firefighters pulled the 40-year-old woman out of the space March 31.

The city is considering filling the space under the art piece, but Cook says the plan is 'fairly preliminary.'

“We want to get the plans first. Once we get that plan obviously we’re going to go over it with the artist,” he says.

The Montreal-based artist, Bill Vazan, told InfoNews.ca he’s worried officials will fill the piece entirely and suggests placing stones within it instead. He recommended a sign to prevent others from climbing on the rocks and called the city’s consideration of filling the sculpture with concrete an overreaction to an isolated event.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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