Dec 4, 11:30am - Speakers Corner Public Art

With some of the Kitchener redesign complete, the new Speaker’s Corners public art piece is being unveiled.

Friday, Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m. at Speaker’s Corner, the intersection of King and Benton streets.

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An interesting piece of Kitchener history - Speaker’s Corner was unveiled Oct. 11, 1976, to commemorate the Canadian Bill of Rights. The location was set aside as a place where dialogue and debate -- free speech -- is welcome.

Here's what the city says about the new piece:

"Speaker’s Corner has been enhanced with a contemporary look, more seating for visitors, more trees, increased street lighting, sustainable planters and increased space for outdoor events.

An intriguing and interactive public art installation at the corner is based on photographs and creates visual illusions that entertain and delight viewers. Created by Toronto artist Allan Harding MacKay, “Relocation and Transformation of Memory” combines text and abstract images of the site before it was modernized.

The Green Street designation acknowledges the city’s efforts to create an environmentally sustainable street design. Environmentally sustainable design features include: 120 new street trees; bike racks to encourage cycling; environmentally friendly planter beds that collect and filter storm water; use of recycled materials in the new roadway, recyclable benches and bollards; and improved waste management practices."

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