Statement regarding Modern Erratics artwork

In response to recent media activity, the City wants to provide additional background on Modern Erratics, a public art project installed at the end of June at the Material Recovery Centre, Diefenbaker Park and Forestry Farm Park.

Modern Erratics includes three permanent public artworks inspired by glacial erratics found across Saskatchewan. Created by artist duo Sans façon, the sculptures use discarded plastics and recycled materials connected to their locations, including decommissioned carts, bottle caps and agricultural grain bags. Modern Erratics was commissioned as the public art component of the Material Recovery Centre capital project through the City’s Public Art Policy, under the Civic Capital Project Public Art funding stream. This stream supports site-specific public art integrated into designated civic capital projects.

Under the policy, designated civic capital projects with a City contribution of $5 million or more “will integrate a public art or artistic design element.” The cost of the art or design element is to be up to one per cent of the total capital project budget, to a maximum of $500,000. City Council approves capital projects to which the one percent for public art contribution will apply.

In June 2021, City Council approved the Material Recovery Centre capital project budget adjustment to $37.5 million: Recovery Park Project Capital Budget Adjustment. At this same meeting, $310,000 of the project budget was allocated for public art to be integrated into the facility. The Material Recovery Centre project was funded through a combination of some borrowing and operating contributions, reserves and funding from the federal-provincial Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) as follows:

Funding SourceAmount ($)
Borrowing / Operating Contribution / Reallocated Funding$18,221,000
Multiple City Reserve$4,980,000
Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP)$14,299,000
Total$37,500,000

In April 2022, a change to the public art project scope associated with the Material Recovery Centre was approved. The scope changed from one artwork focused on environmental sustainability to three smaller works: Recovery Park Public Art Scope Change The intent was to create public artwork that would reflect the role of the Material Recovery Centre, incorporate reused or recycled materials, and provide a clear visual and thematic connection to waste reduction and environmental sustainability.

The Modern Erratics project cost was $297,490, which represents approximately 0.79 per cent of the approved capital project budget.

The artists were selected through a competitive, juried process supported by the City’s Public Art Advisory Committee.

More information about the artworks, materials and locations is available in the City’s news release, website and City Stories article: