The Manitou Reflections project was installed on the shore LIttle Manitou Lake at Manitou Beach on Friday. (Facebook/Michael Gaudet)

By Angie Rolheiser

Manitou Reflections

Long-awaited Manitou Reflections project installed

Jun 9, 2020 | 1:00 PM

A large piece of art was added to the Saskatchewan’s landscape over the weekend at Manitou Beach.

The Manitou Reflections project has been in the works by a trio of artists from Manitou for a couple of years now but was installed last Friday.

The 12 feet by 16 feet curved stainless-steel wall now sits on the south shore of the lake at Uhmam Family Centennial Park according to landscape contractor and artist Darrel Baschak.

“We decided that we could enhance this space further by adding amphitheatre seating and then we added stairs down into the site as well,” Baschuk said. “It is evolving and a lot of people got involved in that aspect too so it continues to grow.”

The site that leads down to where the Manitou Reflections mural is now installed. (Facebook/Michael Gaudet)

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The Uhmam family donated the land for the park for the project because they were approached many years ago by former mayor Eric Upshall to donate it for a future park or project. The family stuck to the deal and donated the property to the village for the mural mounting.

Heritage Canada provided a matching grant to make the project that began as a reflection of 100 years of the resort village possible.

“It is garnering a lot of interest and wonderment so it is a beautiful thing to see people stopping at the site and I think they are getting it,” Bashcak said.

He added it is gratifying to see the work of art speak for itself now that it is up and available for viewing.

Manitou Reflections is a curved stainless steal wall that now sits on the south shore of Little Manitou Lake at Manitou Beach. (Facebook/Michael Gaudet)

Manitou Beach’s centennial was last year with many events held over the summer to commemorate it including a mural installation by artist Michael Gaudet who also had a hand in this particular piece.

“It is overlooking the lake so the effect of the cut-out and integrated into the landscape is just so hard to explain but when you see it, the piece really is so self-explanatory which is a really good thing,” Gaudet said.

The third artist, Robert Thibault, who was pivotal in the project unfortunately lost his battle to cancer on March 28.

“Our contract on this project stipulates that we include a viewing bench so we are going to do that and Michael and I talked about putting on a plaque for Bob as a dedication,” Baschak said.

Another idea is to include a portrait of Thibault when the official project group photos are taken. Gaudet and Baschak would hold up the picture to include Thibault within that photo.

Darrell Baschak, Michael Gaudet and the late Robert Thibault stand with the completed Manitou Reflections Project after it was disassembled in the shop and reassembled outside. (Facebook/Michael Gaudet)

Baschak has been a resident at Manitou Beach for about 10 years now and loves to kayak at Little Manitou Lake.

“I have seen these wonderful reflections and all the water fowl, this area is known as a major migratory route for water fowl,” Baschak said. “When in nature it’s hard not to reflect on nature or a loved one or you just have these thoughts and it really is so beautiful.”

Baschak said it was always in his mind to do some sort of art that pertains to the lake so when Gaudet presented the idea of the Manitou Reflections he felt he needed to be part of it.

“We decided on the steel sculpture and used highly reflective materials to reflect nature around us and personal thoughts and reminiscences,” Baschak said.

He said the park space was already used frequently as a view point of the lake so making this addition to the area was an appealing idea to him.

With this mural being a reflective piece, the day that it went up was the first time for the artists to really take in its full potential and its effect.

“It just interacts with its environment and that is just the surface of it with the cut-outs. When you look through you will see that the horizon in the mural lines up perfectly with the horizon on the north side of the lake,” Gaudet said.

The scale of the hills that are cut out of the steel are the same scale as the hills that can be seen with the naked eye.

“There are many levels to the concept of reflection in this project which I find so fascinating,” Gaudet said. “The nature of the visual impact is constantly shifting and changing.”

The artists also cut out seagull shapes and birds of different sizes that were mounted on pins to the upper left-hand corner of the wall.

“Even though they are the highly reflective steel, some look a carbon black, some look grey and some look white, so it really has exceeded our expectations and it is a continual surprise for us,” Baschack said.

Artists and volunteers pose with the installed Manitou Reflections wall. (Facebook/Michael Gaudet)

One of the fundraisers held to gather their portion of the matching grant sold stainless steel Canada Geese to be used as lawn ornaments. The artists created around 40 of those in the area that sold for $100 a piece. Individuals and businesses were also able to sponsor panels for $250.

There are still some funds left to raise. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so at the town office. The committee would also like to install an electrical connection at the site for potential barbecue events as well as other additions that would include lighting and a sound system.

Donations can also be made in memory of a loved which will be included in a commemorative sign to be erected at the site.

An official unveiling is in the planning stages but will depend on the public health restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is to hold the celebration sometime in August when Sharon Thibault, the wife of the late artist Robert Thibault can attend.

“We want to have a dedication service that would include the village staff and council, mayor and Aboriginal elders,” Baschak said. “We really want to have a blessing of the site.”

There was a First Nations rededication of the healing waters of Little Manitou Lake last summer and the committee would like to do that once again but this time in front of the stainless steal mural.

All of the volunteers and donors will be recognized at the ceremony as well.

The art installation is centrally located in the village and is “hard to miss”, Baschak said.

The artists also said they believe this piece of art will be another tourist attraction in the province to join others in Manitou like Danceland, golfing, the spa, and the lake.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser