Markham city councillors have voted to put a controversial chrome cow out to pasture, after it caused a stir in a quiet neighbourhood where residents loudly complained about seeing the bovine sculpture outside their homes every day.
After more than three hours of debate on Monday, councillors voted to move the statue on stilts to another location. Its new location has not been determined, but the city plans to consult with the statue’s donor and the neighbourhood developer before finding it a better home by the end of the year.
The nearly 8-metre tall statue currently towers over a parkette on Charity Crescent in Markham’s Cathedraltown neighbourhood, where residents say they were not consulted before it was put up. It quickly became a point of contention when it was first erected in July, as many complained that it was an eyesore outside their second-floor windows.
“We have a perfect view of the cow’s butt,” one resident told CTV Toronto in late July.
The $1.2-million statue was donated to the city as a tribute to Brookview Tony Charity, the award-winning Holstein cow that once belonged to the late tycoon who built the nearby Cathedral of the Transfiguration.
But residents of Charity Crescent wanted nothing to do with the unsightly tribute to their street’s namesake, and on Monday, they turned out in numbers to push for its removal at city hall.
Resident Daniel Da Silva says the cow has created a “circus environment” on the street, irking neighbours and drawing many visitors to gawk at the statue.
“If people were to see what some of the houses have to live with, I think they would have a different tone,” he told CTV Toronto. “Lots of cars parked illegally. Lots of idling, lots of people – especially on weekends.”
Mayor Frank Scarpitti defended the statue, despite council’s decision to move it.
“I don’t dismiss that here is some impact to the people that live there,” he said. “But quite honestly, anything… we could have put there would have had as much or maybe worse impact to the people that live there.”
The sculptor says he has no intention of lowering the statue, or altering the wreath around its neck.
But as locals wait for the cow to move, some visitors are embracing what might be their last chance to see it in its original location.
“We just thought hey, the council meeting is today, so let’s come out and take a look before it disappears,” said cow fan Mark Harmon.
“It’s… it’s… different,” said another visitor. “It’s definitely different. That’s for sure.”
With files from CTV Toronto
