Artist Jared Betts is putting his talents and his passions to use in Shediac, N.B., as the newest keeper of the town's giant lobster statue.
A self-proclaimed lobster fan, Betts has been hard at work readying the statue for visitors this summer, with as many as 300,000 people expected to come see the giant crustacean this year.
His fondness for the underwater crustacean is fitting in a town that has declared itself the lobster capital of the world.
"I've always loved the lobster growing up, and now that I'm able to do it I just think it's so incredible because I love sea creatures," Betts told CTV's Your Morning on Friday. "I'm a bit of a mermaid myself."
Unveiled in 1990, the concrete statue weighs nearly 90 tons and measures 11 metres in length.
Betts says, every summer the old paint needs to be ground down, after which the statue has to be re-primed and painted.
The salt from the ocean can be hard on the paint and many areas need to be redone completely.
The process saw Betts work from morning to night, sometimes until as late as 1 or 2 a.m., all with the help of his girlfriend whom he says was crucial in providing emotional support.
"Sometimes, the birds would be chirping, and it's time to sleep," he said.
Although his name isn't on the statue, Betts has thrown a little of himself into the work: some leopard patterns that he uses in his abstract paintings.
Watch the full interview with Jared Betts at the top of the article.
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
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The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.
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The B.C. First Nation involved in the ongoing effort to rescue a stranded killer whale calf on Vancouver Island has asked the government for financial support – but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was non-committal when asked about the request Friday.
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
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Israel and Iran on Friday both played down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran, signalling the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regional war.
New York lawmakers are proposing rules to humanely drive down the population of rats and other rodents, eyeing contraception and a ban on glue traps as alternatives to poison or a slow, brutal death.
A full jury of 12 people and six alternates was seated Friday in Donald Trump's hush money case, setting the stage for opening statements next week in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Armenia has agreed to return to Azerbaijan four villages situated on their shared border, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said on Friday.
Three people have died in the United Arab Emirates as a result of heavy flooding caused by record-setting rains this week, officials said Friday.
Canada's premiers are warning the federal government not to overreach into their jurisdictions when it comes to delivering the programs laid out in Ottawa's latest budget.
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Olympic organizers unveiled their strategy Friday to use artificial intelligence in sports, joining the global rush to capitalize on the rapidly advancing technology.
An ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a tonne, researchers reported Thursday.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
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During a guest appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' Nick Offerman told a story from years ago he said his parents didn't know: he once spent a night in jail.
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
Netflix shares fell on Friday, as its surprise move to stop sharing subscriber additions and average revenue per member from 2025 sowed doubts in investor minds about growth peaking in some markets for the streaming pioneer.
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Booming sales of cold drinks at Starbucks have created a problem: growing amounts of plastic waste from the single-use cups that Frappuccinos, Refreshers, cold brews and other iced drinks are served in.
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank their customers with discounts.
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The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.
The Winnipeg Jets will face the Colorado Avalanche for the first time ever in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
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Tesla is recalling 3,878 of its 2024 Cybertrucks after it discovered that the accelerator pedal can become stuck, potentially causing the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally and increase the risk of a crash.
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Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
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Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
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SaskPower says it will be investing $13.5 million in an effort to improve downtown Regina's electrical grid.
Two Kitchener-Waterloo music organizations have placed an employee on a leave of absence after he was charged in a historical sexual assault investigation.
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles is in Wilmot Township today railing against a plan to turn 770-acres of farmland into an industrial site.
A property management company in Fergus is still cleaning up after they say a tenant trashed one of their units and refused to pay rent -- and they say it's not the only similar case they've dealt with recently.
Libraries in Saskatoon will be closing earlier after an employee and security guard were allegedly assaulted at the Carlyle King Library Monday night.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is dedicating three officers to a specialized unit to help curb crime in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood.
A new dental hygienist degree program is launching at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) in September to help meet a growing demand for oral health specialists.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The war of words between the presidents of Sault College and Conestoga College has escalated into a legal battle.
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
‘Onto Adelaide and just zip down’: Cars no longer have to deal with trains on Adelaide Street North, near Central Avenue.
The $80-million agreement announced Friday is said to include monetary compensation and infrastructure to grow industrial and residential tax bases.
A city councillor said she’s concerned the city is encouraging homeless encampments rather than finding more permanent solutions.
Person airlifted to Toronto after a rollover on Highway 400 Friday morning.
Barrie police Insp. Valarie Gates testified in the preliminary hearing for suspended Sgt. Bruce Gardiner, who stands charged with extortion and criminal harassment.
Police are hoping to identify the person(s) who allegedly broke into a Barrie home and caused extensive water damage.
Windsor police have charged a 21-year-old man with stunt driving following a collision at a commercial property.
An investigation is underway after a body was pulled from the Detroit River.
Windsor police are investigating a threat at a Walkerville high school.
A woman is dead and police are searching for a suspect driver after a hit-and-run crash in Duncan, B.C.
British Columbia's police watchdog has cleared an off-duty Mountie of wrongdoing after a cyclist suffered serious injuries in a collision with an unmarked police vehicle last month.
The British Columbia government has called for a coroner's inquest into the death of a 35-year-old Kamloops man who was killed in a shootout with police nearly six years ago.
A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
Mounties say a 32-year-old Medicine Hat woman has been charged in connection with the theft of $60,000 from the Redcliff Legion.
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.
The war of words between the presidents of Sault College and Conestoga College has escalated into a legal battle.
A 43-year-old has been charged in Sault Ste. Marie after police recorded a vehicle being driven at 113 km/h, nearly double the posted speed limit.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
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