Public artwork selected for ION LRT stops

August 01, 2025

Waterloo Region – Public artworks are being commissioned by the Region to add interest, character and colour along the ION light rail transit route.

 

A public art jury has selected the following artworks for seven of the ION stops:

 

  • Continuum by Catherine Paleczny at Conestoga

  • Network by Ken Hall at Research and Technology

  • Spinal Column by Sandra Dunn at Grand River Hospital

  • Because Cats Can’t Fly by Veronica and Edwin Dam de Nogales at Kitchener Market

  • Tall Tales of Mill Street by Terry O’Neill and Tara Cooper at Mill

  • Three Sisters by Katharine Harvey and Lindsey Lickers at Block Line

  •  Shaping Residency by Stephen Cruise at Fairway

 

Three additional artworks will also be installed along the ION route:

 

  • The Passenger by Brandon Vickerd as part of the Research and Technology Stop Improvements

  • Arras by Lauren Judge and Elana Chand as part of the Fairway Transit Driver’s Facility

  • Fabric of Place by Lilly Otasevic as a barrier enhancement in a pedestrian area

 

The first seven artworks will be created and installed to be ready for the opening of ION in 2018. The creation of the three additional artworks will be based on the timing of the specific projects.

“This is the Region’s largest single investment in public art, and will almost double the number of public artworks on Regional property,” said Regional Councillor Tom Galloway. “The selected artworks provide an opportunity to share our community stories and will support the evolving character and culture of the central transit corridor.”

The chosen artworks were selected using the Region’s two-stage juried process. Since this project was a key opportunity for community building along the ION route, the process was enhanced with more community involvement through:

 

  • an expanded jury
  • three stages of public engagement including a stakeholders group, workshops and surveys
  • community representation in the artwork commissioning process and artists’ orientation bus tour

 

The final round of public input saw over 2,070 comments in three weeks on the proposed artworks.

Please visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/publicart for more detailed information about the selected artworks.

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Please contact: Kate Hagerman, Cultural Heritage Specialist, for more information at 519-575-4094 or khagerman@regionofwaterloo.ca.