Kent Monkman debuts beaver sculpture in Toronto's ambitious new waterfront park
Kent Monkman's first permanent public sculpture, The Colony, emerged this week in Toronto’s new Biidsaasige Park along the Lassonde Art Trail. The 15‑foot bronze grouping shows a troupe of beavers caught in a lively ceremonial feast, their bodies twisted in dance and revelry.
The work draws on Indigenous ceremonies and the ecological role of beavers, linking the animal’s engineering feats to the layered histories of Turtle Island. Its playful yet solemn tone echoes the 18th‑century engraving by Veremondo Rossi that inspired Monkman.
Situated where the Don River meets Lake Ontario, the site has long been a waterway for First Nations. The park’s open‑air museum setting amplifies the sculpture’s dialogue between land, water and community, inviting passersby to pause and reflect.
Monkman, a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, is known for reworking colonial narratives across media—from grand canvases to performance. The Colony extends that practice into the public realm, reinforcing his reputation as a provocateur who bridges museum walls and everyday streets.