The man who has been carving and sculpting the Soldiers’ Tree monument south of Estevan believes he has virtually completed the project.
Darren Jones travelled 12 hours from Rimbey, Alberta, to Estevan on April 20 to begin applying the finishing touches to the project, which features tributes to Canada’s military history.
Jones completed most of the work last fall, using a chainsaw to carve figures and images into a 102-year-old cottonwood tree.
Since he returned to Estevan, he has airbrushed the tree and has applied urethane to the towering sculpture.
“It will actually have a plastic coat on it,” Jones said in an interview with the Mercury. “It will help with durability and … the colours. It just maintains it.”
He hoped to be finished on April 25, so he could return home the following day.
The weather wasn’t always co-operative during his recent visit to Estevan. High winds whipped the southeast region from April 22 to 24, which created a challenge, but it was a hurdle he could overcome.
“The whole sculpture is a challenge, to take on a sculpture of this size, and with such deep meaning behind it,” said Jones. “This is probably the most emotional sculpture I’ve ever made, and I sculpt a lot.”
The bigger concern was precipitation, but he didn’t experience any lengthy rain delays.
He has also crafted two benches for the project that he expects will also be done on April 25. Each bench is 13 feet in length, with a soldier on each end, and an eight-foot area for sitting.
One bench depicts a First World War soldier holding a poppy in one hand, and on the opposite side of the bench, there is a Second World War sailor.
On the second bench, there is a modern-day soldier at one end and a pilot at the other. All soldiers, except for the First World War soldier, have their hands together holding a poppy.
“They’re made of solid cedar,” said Jones. “The effect of being able to sit with the soldiers whenever you’re looking at the memorial is going to be special in itself. And of course, the grain in this cedar is incredible. They’re very, very brilliant.”
Jones is proud of how the Soldiers’ Tree turned out. When he came back last week, he was reminded of the size of the project.
He’s also stunned by the public’s reaction and the number of people who have watched him work.
“I had a visitor down here at 7 o’clock this … morning,” Jones said on April 24. “They still had the pyjama pants on, but they figured they would come down and see the sculpture and see what it looks like.”
Jones added he would be willing to come back to Estevan to apply any necessary finishing touches if the Soldiers’ Tree committee believes that’s necessary.
The committee that has organized the project has been fundraising for the tree. They estimate the final price tag for the project will be more than $50,000. Some money for maintenance is included in the estimate. Jones hopes that the finished product will help them secure donations for the project.
“It will be something to be seen down here, and it will give folks an idea of what they’re donating to, to move the tree, because it’s pretty special that they’re moving it downtown,” he said.
The next step will be relocating the tree and the benches to their permanent home near the Estevan Court House. A date for the move has yet to be finalized.
A grand opening ceremony for the monument is slated for Sept. 10.
