Statue of Alexander Wood, Bronze statue in Church and Wellesley, Canada.
The statue of Alexander Wood is a bronze figure dressed in Georgian-era clothing, complete with a bow tie and period details. It stood for years at the corner of Church and Alexander Streets in downtown Toronto before being relocated in 2022.
The work was created by sculptor Del Newbigging and installed in 2005, becoming the first public memorial of its kind in Canada. It was removed in April 2022 after a review of the historical record of the person it represents.
A red rose on the lapel of the figure references the law that decriminalized homosexuality in Canada, and anyone walking past can spot it. This small detail has made the statue a gathering point for Toronto's LGBTQ+ community over the years.
The statue was removed from its original location at the corner of Church and Alexander Streets in 2022, so it is worth checking where it currently stands before visiting. The surrounding area remains part of Toronto's Church-Wellesley Village, which is easy to reach on foot from the city center.
Del Newbigging based the design on Georgian silhouette portraits but added fashion elements tied to a later dandyism movement, mixing two distinct historical styles in one figure. This makes the statue look noticeably different from most monuments found on Toronto's streets.
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