Like juvenile salmon that leave their home creeks and return as adults to spawn, people using the Evergreen Extension, set to open in December, will leave and return each day through six new rapid transit stations.
And at the Moody Centre station in Port Moody, their movements have been captured in artwork depicting the life cycle of salmon in a piece called "Coming and Going," created by artist Soren Henrich.
The colourful six-metre-diameter circle showing salmon from the egg stage to adult has been generating plenty of comment since it was installed last week, especially among local stream keepers who appreciate the symbolism and efforts by the artist to make the image as realistic as possible.
Ruth Foster said her Mossom Creek Hatchery group was given the opportunity to view the draft and was pleased when the artist added the alevin stage — between egg and fry, when the yolk sac is still visible — to the art work at their suggestion.
"Now, all stages are there and the salmon depicted are definitely wild salmon with their intact adipose fins," Foster said in an email.
Stirling Ward, a member of Port Moody's Evergreen Liaison Committee, said the artwork is a legacy for the city and an apt metaphor for citizens who go about their daily business each day, then, like the salmon, return home at the end of a long journey.
"The life cycle of salmon and certainly salmon have played a major role in Port Moody's history, and relating that to our own lives, which are very short indeed, and not unlike the salmon, is beautiful," Ward said.
"I think the committee was very delighted with the results, it just adds that splash of colour," he added.
Several more pieces of art have yet to be installed at PoMo's two stations before the Evergreen Extension opening. Among those, at the Inlet Centre station, is the "Moraine Train," featuring large rocks left by glaciers that were dug out when the Clarke Road tunnel was dug, and two sculptures, "Evergreen People," on the exterior plaza and "Mother and Child on a Bike" inside the station.
At Moody Centre station — which doubles as the West Coast Express station — "The Canoe" was installed in April. It was carved by Centennial secondary students 15 years ago and restored by Suwa'lkh secondary students. As well, an historical image will soon be installed on one of the windows of the station.
The very first piece of public art in Port Moody associated with the Evergreen Extension was a vinyl mural along the construction fence on Clarke Street between the Barnet Highway and Douglas Street. That piece is titled "Evergreen Public Art Panel Project" by artist David Pacholko.
