UPFRONT
KRISTIN SCHNELTEN
A TRANSFORMATION IN THE VALLEY A beloved elm tree near Kimberley set its final flowers last spring, succumbing to Dutch elm disease before autumn arrived. When arborists arrived to remove the tree, homeowner Michele Chaban, M/RSW, PhD, requested a substantial portion of the trunk—about 11 feet—be left behind. “I decided to keep a remnant of it and turn it into a statue that will bear the elements over time until it, too, dissipates,” says Chaban. 14
Commissioning the work to mark her 70th birthday, Chaban chose local artist David Robinson, who 27 years ago completed the 4.5-tonne white limestone sculpture of Wiarton Willie located in the harbour town’s Bluewater Park. A multimedia artist whose family has deep roots in the area, Robinson captured Chaban’s attention not only for his skill and talent but his passion for the valley and its history.
