Port Coquitlam will unveil a new public art installation honouring Terry Fox on Saturday, September 13. The Gateway of Giants sculptures will be revealed at 11 a.m. in the plaza outside the Port Coquitlam Community Centre on Wilson Avenue.
According to the City of Port Coquitlam, the event will include official remarks, a community gathering, and activities in the Terry Fox Hometown Square. Attendees will also be able to watch the Terry Fox movie and explore the Terry Fox: Inspiring Local Champions exhibit inside the centre. Members of City Council and the Fox family are expected to attend.
The Gateway of Giants features two sculptures created by Spanish artist Casto Solano. The figures reflect Fox’s early years in Port Coquitlam and are designed to be approachable, allowing visitors to walk among them, touch them, and take photographs.
A bronze plaque will be installed at the site, and the sculptures will be placed along the walkway leading to the community centre entrance.
Solano, who has more than 30 years of experience in public art, was selected through an international process that included input from the Fox family. The City said he was chosen for his skill in representational sculpture, collaborative approach, and his personal interest in Fox as an inspiring figure of national and global significance.
The unveiling coincides with the 45th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. The sculptures connect directly to the Terry Fox: Inspiring Local Champions exhibit, which opened in April.
The exhibit includes Fox’s spare prosthetic leg, an adidas running shoe, and a Marathon of Hope t-shirt, along with artifacts from his school years. An interactive timeline explores his early life in Port Coquitlam, while other displays highlight Olympic athletes, professional athletes, and coaches who have contributed to the city’s history.
Fox’s legacy is also marked at several other locations in Port Coquitlam. The Marathon of Hope installation on Kelly Avenue includes a large map of his run embedded in the pavement, with accompanying photos and journal entries. Beginning September 12, City Hall will display photographs from the Marathon of Hope. Fox’s gravesite at Port Coquitlam Cemetery is also open to visitors.
