City council voted 36-2 on Wednesday to include the return of the Garden of the Greek god statues to the city as a condition of amending Muzik’s lease on Exhibition Place grounds.
Councillor Mike Layton said council’s decision will “right an historic wrong” that occurred when the city signed a lease with Muzik in 2004 to run a nightclub in the Horticulture Building, where the statues were located.
“The statues were placed around a historic building, we included them as part of the grounds. That was wrong,” Layton told council.
“We shouldn’t be including public art from a world famous Canadian sculptor and selling it, essentially, or disposing of it for years so that no one could see it.”
In 2014, the Muzik owners built a fence enclosing a patio around the club, and within it, the twenty limestone statues sculpted by artist E.B. Cox.
They will probably find a new home at the rose garden south of the bandshell on Exhibition grounds. The general public, especially children will now be able to enjoy them as the artist intended.