Terry Fox statue relocated in downtown Ottawa

The Terry Fox statue has been relocated to Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

The Terry Fox statue across the street from Parliament Hill moved to a new location in downtown Ottawa on Monday.

In a social media post, Public Services and Procurement Canada said the Terry Fox Memorial Sculpture was being relocated from Wellington Street to Sparks Street.

"The new location will be along the original route that Terry Fox took during his Marathon of Hope in 1980," PSPC said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The Terry Fox statue is now located on Sparks Street near Bank Street.

Fox began the Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980 in St. John's to raise awareness and money for cancer research. The run lasted for 143 days through the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario, before cancer forced him to stop his run near Thunder Bay, Ont. on Sept. 1, 1980. Fox died on June 28, 1981.

The statue of Terry Fox was created by John Hooper in 1983.

In 2022, the Canadian Press reported the Terry Fox statue would need to be moved to make way for a new building complex to house MPs and senators offices.  Construction on Block 2 is expected to wrap up in the early 2030s.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, PSPC said the Block 2 project is why the statue has been moved.

"Public Services and Procurement Canada executed the relocation, in close collaboration with Terry Fox's family, the artist John Hooper’s Estate, the National Capital Commission (NCC), the City of Ottawa, the Sparks Street Business Improvement Area (BIA), and the Parliamentary Administrations. The existing commemorative plaque was also relocated to the façade of the Wellington Building," PSPC said.

"The Sculpture was relocated to accommodate the upcoming Block 2 Redevelopment Project, a critical component of the Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct. This project involves extensive work to rehabilitate and modernize the buildings within the precinct, ensuring Parliament has the modern facilities needed to serve Canadians."

PSPC added the statue will continue to be owned and maintained by the City of Ottawa. There is currently no plan to place another monument where the Terry Fox statue previously stood.  

• Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App