October 27th, 2022
Town Council, artists and citizens gathered in Beresford on Thursday to witness the official unveiling of the Maritime Ringlet Butterfly Statue.
The statue, installed in the recreation area near the Beresford salt marshes, represents the Maritime Ringlet Butterfly, an endangered species endemic to the Beresford marshes. This rare butterfly is found in only a few places around the Baie des Chaleurs.
Mosaic artist Carole Andrée Lulham has created a permanent work overlooking the marshes and near the town’s walking trails. Photographer Valérie Chouinard of Beresford has documented the butterfly and its habitat and her work is displayed on nearby interpretive panels.
An initiative of the Town of Beresford’s Cultural Development Committee, this butterfly is one of the first outdoor public art installations in the Town of Beresford. It is also a tool to raise awareness of the precariousness of salt marshes and our duty to preserve them. The work also makes use of reused materials to raise awareness about reuse.
The Town of Beresford received support from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), which provided a contribution of $49,400 through the Rediscover Main Streets initiative towards a series of activities to revitalize downtown Beresford. The activities included a variety of musical performances, a marketing campaign to promote activities, and two new public art installations.
“This cultural and artistic infrastructure will help beautify downtown Beresford and encourage people to rediscover and celebrate their community,” said Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie-Bathurst, on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA.
Beresford Mayor Edgar Aubé is pleased with the addition of this work to his town: “Art makes people happy and public art is accessible to all. Our town is proud to have spearheaded this project and to have been able to realize it thanks to our financial partners. It is a very welcome addition to our citizens and I have heard many appreciative comments about it.”
The work is located at the Rodolphe Boudreau Sportek in Beresford on the edge of the marsh.