Wilkie is holding a contest to design a new grasshopper sculpture as the town's welcoming attraction. (Submitted/Helen Urlacher)

By Angela Brown

Grasshopper design contest

Wilkie group asking for designs for town’s new grasshopper sculpture

May 24, 2022 | 5:19 PM

Just like Vegreville, Alta. has its huge pysanka, a Ukrainian-style Easter egg, or Glendon is known for its giant perogy on a fork, Wilkie wants to stand out from the crowd with its plans to erect a massive grasshopper sculpture.

Wilkie has a contest now open for students and the community to submit their design suggestions to create the new grasshopper statue.

Helen Urlacher, with the newly-formed Wilkie Roadside Attraction volunteer committee, is involved in the project.

“Anybody who has a talent for drawing or design can submit it to the Wilkie Reddi Mart or the Wilkie Town Office,” she said.

Urlacher said she put a call out on Facebook for volunteers to form the committee to work on the project, and within 12 hours was able to get seven people to sign up.

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Wilkie used to be known for having a giant grasshopper creation on display, a symbol of the town’s hardiness.

“The grasshopper was originally made to show how strong our farming community of Wilkie is,” Urlacher said. “You can put up any challenge against the community and the farmers of Wilkie, but we always come out resilient and strong. That’s what the grasshopper means. No matter what pest comes our way, we will defeat it, and we will stay strong as a farming community.”

The original grasshopper structure, donated to the town by Byron Hanson many years ago, was made of wood, weighed about 4,000 pounds and was 12 feet tall, Urlacher said.

But she noted it was showing signs of wear and getting vandalized. As a result, it was removed from its location beside the Saskcan Community Centre about 10 years ago, and the spot has been vacant since.

“I’ve actually been advocating for a new grasshopper for about four years, along with Mayor David Ziegler,” she said.

Urlacher said the new design will be made of a more durable material, such as metal or fibreglass, to be more sustainable for the future.

“We want to get the community involved with the contest, to have them help us redesign the new grasshopper,” she said, adding it will be exciting to have a new roadside attraction for the site again.

All costs for the project will come from fundraising, donations and sponsorship.

“None of the taxpayers’ dollars will be used for the reconstruction of the grasshopper,” she said. “It’s going to be about a two-year project for this new committee.”

Urlacher encourages everyone with an idea to design the new grasshopper statue to submit their drawings for a chance to win.

The contest to design the new grasshopper will run until June 13.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW