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Guelph art installation delivers the message about plastic pollution

Located at Old Quebec Street Shoppes, Wellington Water Watcher's initiative aims to provide an eye-popping visual of plastic pollution in the world

A 15-foot-long canoe sitting on a nine-foot pile of single-use plastic water bottles at Old Quebec Street Shoppes aims to give a powerful message about plastic:

We are in over our heads with plastic pollution.

Wellington Water Watcher (WWW) volunteers teamed up with Old Quebec Street Shoppes, Micky Shepperd of Trillium West Real Estate and Rebecca Jane Houston, a Toronto-based artist to create the eye-popping visual Over Our Heads

“It was something that we were all dedicated to. It's important, plastic in our environment is just a huge epidemic right now and we have to help send a message that we have to stop using single used plastic,” said Karen Rathwell, volunteer with WWW. 

“Were all able to use our talents and our individual knowledge to just shout out about water and how to protect it.”

The art piece was installed on Sept. 10 and will remain in Old Quebec Street Shoppes till mid-November. 

Houston’s work often aims to showcase the consequences of human actions using art. With Over Our Heads, Rathwell said Houston wanted to give the impression that the canoe is being overwhelmed by plastic and is threatening to sink it. To illustrate this image, thousands of water bottles were used. 

“And so I've seen real pictures of something like this in countries where there is no recycling,” said Rathwell.

“It’s a very sad image and yet it’s kind of beautiful.”

Arlene Slocombe, executive director of WWW said she still remembers the days when the impacts of plastic were not well known. 

“Every piece of plastic ever made is still on this planet in one form or another, unless it’s been incinerated, which causes its own set of problems,” said Arlene Slocombe, executive director of WWW.

“Saying 'no' to single-use plastic bottles and bags, in particular, is a good beginning to slowing down this plastic pollution epidemic.”

Rathwell said for the past few months, the WWW has been collecting information about water concerns from community groups and not-for-profits from across Ontario and created a virtual conference, Watershed 2020:Towards a Water Justice Agenda scheduled for Sept. 26. The conference aims to highlight pollution concerns for Ontarians. 

“We want to have a clear sense of the issues that Ontarians are facing today so we can bring them to the attention of those who can make the changes needed,” said Rathwell.


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Anam Khan

About the Author: Anam Khan

Anam Khan is a journalist who covers numerous beats in Guelph and Wellington County that include politics, crime, features, environment and social justice
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