Terry Fox statue moves to Sparks Street

Downtown Ottawa's Terry Fox statue moved one street south from Wellington Street to Sparks Street on June 10, 2024. (Felix Desroches/CBC - image credit)
Downtown Ottawa's Terry Fox statue moved one street south from Wellington Street to Sparks Street on June 10, 2024. (Felix Desroches/CBC - image credit)

Ottawa's Terry Fox statue has found a new home on Sparks Street.

The famous statue, which previously sat at 90 Wellington St. across from Centre Block on Parliament Hill, was relocated Monday morning.

Betty Fox, in 2000, visits the statue of her son Terry that is situated below Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Betty Fox, in 2000, visits the statue of her son Terry that is situated below Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Betty Fox, in 2000, visits the statue of her son Terry in its previous location. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) announced the new location on social media, stating the statue is now "along the original route that Terry Fox took during his Marathon of Hope in 1980."

Intentions to move the sculpture were announced in 2022 to make way for planned redevelopment of "Block 2" across Wellington Street from Parliament Hill.

This Terry Fox memorial sculpture was created in 1983 by John Hooper.

Fox began his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research after losing part of his right leg to bone cancer.

Beginning in St. John's, N.L., he ran for 143 days, through the Atlantic provinces, Quebec and Ontario, before Fox's cancer returned and he was forced to stop.

Fox died on June 28, 1981 at the age 22.