Balancing

Balancing has been temporarily removed from the Rideau Canal Esplanade in downtown Ottawa to undergo maintenance.

This original creation is one of the more popular and well-known sculptures in Canada’s Capital. A lively work of art, Balancing consists of a collection of five brightly coloured whimsical wooden figures balancing on a Y-shaped beam. Made from laminated mahogany from the Philippines, it represents a cross-section of Capital residents ─ including a bemused bureaucrat.

Balancing was created by the late New Brunswick artist John Hooper and first installed in 1981. This important artwork underwent major restoration work from 2008 to 2012.