SO WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA BEHIND THE CONCRETE MOOSE?
A few years ago a few friends were sitting around talking about Thunder Bay. Like most people from the City, we were very proud of where we live. Sure, we complain about how far away we are from the bigger centres and that there’s nothing to do at times. But, we love it.
But, as we were talking one of our newer friends spoke up and said, “Thunder Bay is great, but it sure is hard to make friends when you first move here.” As the conversation turned this way and we all quickly realized that he was right. Locals, like us, don’t really go out of our way to get to know new people. Often, people who’ve grown up here stay pretty tight knit. We’re not a rapidly changing community, so we don’t really have the “natural skills” of welcoming new people. For many of us we are 3rd generation or more.
So, a group of us decided to try to be a little more welcoming. We’ve made an effort to get to know new neighbours as they move on to our streets. We’ve paid attention to the news papers and welcomed new doctors, university professors and others who have moved to the City for work. At the same time, we’ve encouraged the other life long Thunder Bayers like us to be a little more proactively friendly.
The Concrete Moose came out of this idea. There are many new residents to Thunder Bay who have never gone “moose hunting”. So, we thought this would be a fun way of introducing people who are moving here from TO, Calgary, Vancouver and other urban centres to a little bit of Thunder Bay. Also, the Concrete Moose are made out of, well, concrete. This is because Thunder Bay is a city….it’s not a town. So, we want to remind ourselves that when we are competing with other cities and we have to be both urban and tough like concrete. The Moose are styled with a nod to Aboriginal Woodlands art especially that of Roy Thomas and Ahmoo Angeconeb. The Woodlands style is uniquely Northern Ontario and it is something we can all embrace and be proud of.
So, if you are a long time local, find a Concrete Moose and give it to a new resident of Thunder Bay. If you are a new resident, find a Moose and give it to a long time local. In any case, get to know each other. Pass these moose around often. Think of them as an easy excuse to stop by someone’s house and say hi.
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Such a great idea. You put action behind your thoughts and words. Very commendable. I hope to come across a concrete moose some day.
I love this idea, it is so cute. As a new resident to Thunder Bay I think it’s a great way to meet new neighbours. I personally do not know too many people since I moved here, and feel as though meeting your neighbours is a lost art, that was once the thing to do. Thank you for all that you are doing and sharing with us. I hope to find a moose some day or meet a new friend in the process.
I was recently given on on Saturday. I had never heard of it before. I think it is great. I would love to participate somehow, possibly building/pouring them or through distribution. Sadly, I hope to come across another one shortly after I pass mine on.
Hi! I’m a new resident of Thunder Bay and have been here just over a month. I’ve been very fortunate to have met a few welcoming locals already – maybe because I have seeked more than anything, or maybe I’ve just been lucky to have run into the right people.
Regardless, I think this is an awesome idea! If I ever come across a moose, I definitely have a couple people I could say thank you too.