Southern Alberta monolith moving
![monolith 1 It's unclear when the monolith will move and where to, but artist Elizabeth Williams has been in contact with several institutions interested in hosting it.](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2023/3/27/monolith-1-1-6331380-1679958065716.jpeg)
The monolith that's stood watch in a field next to the Maycroft Provincial Recreation Area since January 2021 will soon have a new home.
Elizabeth Williams, the artist behind the monolith, says it's simply time to move on.
"You know, all stories come to a close. One hundred per cent grateful, nothing but grateful that this location has been available to us. And it's just time to move along," Williams said.
It's unclear when the monolith will move and where to, but Williams has been in contact with several institutions interested in hosting it.
Williams and a group of supporters of the artwork held a closing ceremony for it this weekend to celebrate its run at the Maycroft site.
Several monoliths like the one in southern Alberta popped up across North America, in places like Utah and California, around roughly the same time.
Most of those monoliths came with no explanation, but the one near Maycroft does have a story.
"The monolith was put up to draw attention to the threat to this landscape. It was a way to catch people's eye and make them aware to the eastern slope of Alberta," Williams said.
In May 2020, the Alberta government rescinded its 1976 coal policy, which imposed varying degrees of restrictions on coal development in the Alberta Rockies.
"This is a generational issue and we've come to a moment where all of our futures are in jeopardy. This is all a result of the UCP not thinking this through. Our water future is at risk and the long-term effects will be irreversible," said Dave Eaton, spokesperson for Protect Alberta’s Rockies and Headwaters, in a statement.
Williams says her goal was to draw attention to the threats on these landscapes so Albertans would be encouraged to reach out to their elected officials.
Supporters of the 1976 policy believe the monolith has helped get Albertans talking about the coal-mining debate.
"The monolith has definitely had an impact, I don't think the role of the monolith is over yet," said Michael Sawyer, environmental activist.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968345.1721304526!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly visiting China
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is visiting China, according to China’s foreign ministry, in what was an unannounced trip.
Former safety minister wants 'protective zones' for MPs' offices as threats increase
Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is calling for the creation of 'protective zones' around political constituency offices to shield members of Parliament and their staff from a rising tide of threatening behaviour.
Vance's night but Trump's party, Jan. 6 curtain call, Trump health still under wraps: RNC Takeaways
Republicans welcomed JD Vance as Donald Trump's running mate on the same night devoted to blasting U.S. President Joe Biden's leadership on the world stage. Here are some takeaways from Day 3 of the RNC.
Two deaths in listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based milk recall
Two people have died after an outbreak of listeriosis triggered a national recall of certain plant-based milks, the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday.
Days after shooting, Trump to address Republican National Convention on final day
Days after Donald Trump was injured in a shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania, the former U.S. president is expected to address the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin.
Mississauga, Ont., nursing home evacuated of more than 100 residents amid flooding
First responders say it took nearly 12 hours to rescue more than 100 residents from a flooded Mississauga, Ont., long-term care home after torrential rain pummelled the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday.
German police detain a suspected stalker ahead of a Taylor Swift concert
An American man who made threats against Taylor Swift on social media was detained ahead of her first concert in the German city of Gelsenkirchen and will be kept in custody until her shows there are over, police said Thursday.
John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events, distances from inclusion efforts
Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor 'social or cultural awareness' events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash.
Rare photos reveal uncontacted tribe in Peruvian Amazon as loggers move in
Rare images of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous tribe in the remote Peruvian Amazon, were published on Tuesday by Survival International,