Family sad about theft of metal beaver bench

All that's left of the Holdsworths' prized metal beaver bench, that just last week sat proudly in front of their home, in Inglewood, Alberta, Canada, is splinters and drag marks. The Holdsworths commissioned the beaver bench from artist Joe Renaud in 2007. Susan Holdsworth says they wanted a bench because her mother-in-law would come from England and couldn't walk very far around the neighbourhood without having to sit down.



This prompted her husband, David, to commission the bench. "He really did it just in the interest of making the neighbourhood more walkable," said Mrs Holdsworth, "and for him it was really boring just to have a bench, so he called for a piece of public art." The bench was made from four-inch cedar and on the corner sat the pièce de résistance, a beaver. It's quite possibly one of the most Canadian pieces of art in the country.

The beaver's body was crafted out of a propane tank, the tail from a propeller, and a hockey stick was held proudly in its hand. But now, the hockey beaver is gone. On Friday, the Holdsworths woke up and saw only emptiness where the much-loved bench once sat. The crime must have taken some effort. The heavy bench would not be easy to remove as it had a metal rod welded to it that stuck in the ground. The Holdsworths think the thieves must have used a truck or heavy equipment for the heist.



The family is hoping the bench snatchers will have a change of heart and but admit they aren't going to hold their breath. Holdsworth's husband is planning on reaching out to Renaud to commission another northern masterpiece. "I think he was really well-loved, We know a lot of people would stop and use this in their walking in the neighbourhood as a destination." said Mrs Holdsworth. "I'm really disappointed, pretty sad, and a little disgusted. It's such a loss, not just for us, but for our whole community." Frankly, the whole situation is a "dam" shame.