Canada’s Playful Side (16 Photos)

October 24, 2026

By Vidar

Public art across Canada that makes people smile

Canada keeps a sense of humor in its public spaces, and you do not need a museum ticket to find it. These twelve works, from Vancouver to Halifax, sit in parks, plazas, crosswalks and waterfronts, and most of them are free to walk up to.

More: Canada Made Me Look Twice (12 Photos)

🐕 A Helping Paw — By Trevor Cole in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

Trevor Cole’s stencil shows a boy sitting with his head down. The dog was not part of the plan: Carlos stood on his hind legs and put a paw on the boy’s shoulder.

📷 Photo by Erika Lopez of her dog Carlos.

More: Kindness Is The Default (9 Photos)

🏜️ “Moving Dunes” — By NÓS Architectes and MU in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

For one summer, Avenue du Musée beside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts became a pedestrian street painted as sand dunes, with mirrored spheres resting in the ripples. The dunes are flat paint.

💡 Art Fact: Art Public Montréal describes it as the seventh annual summer transformation of the street, created by NÓS Architectes and produced with MU.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsMoving DunesNÓS Architectes, with MU · 2018 · MontréalOptical illusionMuseum installation1Painted ground combines with mirrored spheres.v2com-newswire.com2The project was the museum’s seventh annual street transformation.artpublicmontreal.ca201820 JunContemporary report of the installation201827 JunArt Public Montréal announcement20202 NovRetrospective design dossier; not a new installationRead the full file →

More: When Artists Play With Nature (12 Photos)

🤫 “Les Chuchoteuses” — By Rose-Aimée Bélanger in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

Three bronze women share a bench on Placette Saint-Dizier, a small square off Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal, close enough to whisper. Nobody else gets to hear what is so interesting.

💡 Art Fact: Art Public Montréal dates the bronze to 2002 and says the artist’s inspiration “comes from the simple moment of every day life.”

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsLes chuchoteusesRose-Aimée Bélanger · 2002 · MontréalBronzeOld Montréal1Three bronze women share a bench.commons.wikimedia.org2The Montréal inauguration was on 24 November 2006.chronomontreal.uqam.ca200624 NovMontréal inauguration recorded by UQAM201216 AugJeangagnon's photograph · camera date2015Art Public Montréal's credited photograph202529 MarArpad_mtl's dated street photograph · camera dateRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Les chuchoteuses 01” by Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

🦝 “Hubert” — By The Half Decent in Toronto, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

Toronto’s most famous neighbor, the raccoon, dressed for a night out. Hubert has the top hat and the bow tie, but the wide eyes say he has not decided about the outfit.

💡 Artist Fact: The Half Decent was born in Switzerland and moved to Canada at eleven.

More: “Hubert” by The Half Decent in Toronto, Canada

🔗 Follow The Half Decent on Instagram

🤿 “Girl in a Wetsuit” — By Elek Imredy in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

At first glance she could pass for a mermaid. Look again: she has legs, flippers and a diving mask pushed up on her forehead. On this day a real gull kept her company on the rock.

💡 Art Fact: She was unveiled on her rock off Stanley Park in 1972, and the model was Debra Harrington of Vancouver.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsGirl in a WetsuitElek Imredy · 1972 · VancouverStanley ParkBronze1A bronze diver sits on a rock off Stanley Park.covapp.vancouver.ca2The statue was unveiled on 10 June 1972.covapp.vancouver.ca1968Commission initiated, according to city registry19729 JunPlaced on the offshore rock197210 JunUnveiled201110 Jun39th-anniversary photo essay202416 AugGuerinf's photograph · camera dateRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Girl in a Wetsuit (1)” by Guerinf / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

🐟 “Fish Bone Crossing” — By Roadsworth in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

The stripes still tell drivers where to stop, but Roadsworth added a head and a tail, so everyone crossing walks over the bones of a very large fish.

💡 Artist Fact: Roadsworth is the Montreal artist Peter Gibson, and his street portfolio lists Fish Bone Crossing as a 2010 work.

More: Roadsworth: The Visionary Street Artist

🔗 Visit Roadsworth’s website

✨ “Spinning Chandelier” — By Rodney Graham in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

A palace-style chandelier hangs from the underside of the Granville Street Bridge at Beach Avenue, where nobody expects one. It was built to light up, lower and spin for four minutes at noon, 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

💡 Art Fact: The piece grew out of Graham’s earlier film installation Torqued Chandelier Release, and developer Westbank commissioned it as part of the Vancouver House project, Canadian Architect reported in 2019. The city’s public art head called it a work that “makes you stop and look at the underside of a bridge.”

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsSpinning ChandelierRodney Graham · 2019 · VancouverKinetic sculptureLED light1The work has 602 polyurethane crystals.covapp.vancouver.ca2Westbank commissioned it for the Vancouver House development.canadianarchitect.com2019Installation recorded by the city201912 DecCanadian Architect covers the newly unveiled work20201 FebGoToVan photographs the chandelier · camera dateRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Spinning Chandelier @ Vancouver House” by GoToVan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

🐄 “The Pasture” — By Joe Fafard in Toronto, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

In the middle of Toronto’s financial district, a small herd of bronze cows lies in the grass and chews nothing in particular, while the office towers of the Toronto-Dominion Centre rise behind them.

💡 Art Fact: Fafard, a Saskatchewan sculptor, made the seven bronze cows in 1985, each with its own patina.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe PastureJoe Fafard · 1985 · TorontoBronzeFinancial District1Seven life-size bronze cows form the herd.mackenzie.art2The work occupies the Toronto-Dominion Centre plaza.tclf.org1985The Pasture installed200817 JulEdk7's photograph, uploaded much later · camera date20156 JunRick Ligthelm photographs the herd · camera date201825 OctJonathon C publishes a photographic accountRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Toronto, Canada” by Rick Ligthelm / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

🐦 “The Birds” — By Myfanwy MacLeod in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

One of two house sparrows, the most ordinary bird in the city, made giant in the plaza of the Olympic Village. “You’re the small thing in relationship to the giant birds,” MacLeod told The Globe and Mail.

💡 Art Fact: The city’s public art brochure says MacLeod cites Hitchcock’s movie as inspiration. The sparrows were removed in 2017 after damage from climbing and skateboarding, then recast in aluminum and returned in 2018, the Georgia Straight reported.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe BirdsMyfanwy MacLeod · 2010; rebuilt 2018 · VancouverOlympic VillagePublic sculpture1The figures are a male and female house sparrow.covapp.vancouver.ca2The reconstruction uses cast aluminum and stainless steel.carvelcreative.com2010Original installation201120 MarGuilhem Vellut's Olympic Village photograph · camera date2017NovRemoved for reconstruction, reported retrospectively201814 AugReturn to Olympic Village reportedRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Olympic Village, Vancouver” by Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

😂 “A-maze-ing Laughter” — By Yue Minjun in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

Fourteen bronze men laugh with their eyes shut and their mouths wide open in Morton Park near English Bay. It is hard to stand among them with a straight face.

💡 Art Fact: Every laughing figure is modeled on Yue Minjun himself, and the work stayed in Vancouver after the 2009–2011 Vancouver Biennale thanks to a donation from Chip and Shannon Wilson and family.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsA-maze-ing LaughterYue Minjun · 2009 · VancouverMorton ParkBronze1Fourteen cast-bronze figures laugh together.vancouverbiennale.com2The figures use Yue Minjun’s own laughing image.vancouverbiennale.com2009Installation for the Biennale201224 JulPermanent-gift announcement201211 AugDonation date recorded by the city202220 FebJeff Miller's photograph · camera date2025Biennale reports Best Public Art reader award; not a dated site inspectionRead the full file →

More: 25 Extraordinary Sculptures

🌊 “The Wave” — By Donna Hiebert in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 🇨🇦

An engraved stone beside The Wave reads “For your protection, do not climb.” On a sunny day there is usually a child on top anyway, and another one sliding down.

💡 Art Fact: The Wave has stood on the Halifax waterfront since 1988, and the ground around it is spongy safety flooring.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe WaveDonna Hiebert · HalifaxSackville LandingPublic sculpture1The sculpture stands at Sackville Landing on Halifax’s waterfront.buildns.ca2The artist is Donna Hiebert.theartycrowd.ca1988Commission dated 1988 by artist profile; another source says 19982013Sackville Landing redevelopment completed202518 AugThe Wave photographed · camera dateRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “The Wave in 2025” by A Disappearing Act / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

🐉 “Earth Dragon” — By Junko in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

A dragon built from salvaged wood and street-found scrap appears to stride across a snowy Montreal field. MURAL Festival describes Junko’s sculptures as creatures made to breathe in the spaces around them, and this wintry beast turns discarded material into an unexpected bit of folklore.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsEarth DragonJunko · MontréalReclaimed materialsOutdoor sculpture1Junko describes natural materials and locally reclaimed plastic.instagram.com2The artist says it was created without a motorized vehicle.instagram.com202229 JanIntroduction date reported by contemporary coverage202210 FebMTL Blog documents the installation2024OctJess Chua reports seeing the dragon from the airport route202519 MarPublication of the October 2024 recollection; not a new sightingRead the full file →

Photo/source: @kev_inthestreets, via the Street Art Utopia archive

🔗 Follow Junko on Instagram

🛻 “Lawn Gossip” — By Old Hues in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Canada 🇨🇦

Three neighbors settle into lawn chairs beside a red pickup, a cooler, worn tires and a loose bicycle wheel. Old Hues titles the work “Lawn Gossip” and places it on the Shaunavon Fire Department at 60 3 Avenue.

Photo/source: Old Hues’s official post

🔗 Follow Old Hues on Instagram

🎨 “Graffiti Granny” — By ASHOP Crew at MURAL Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

A towering grandmother in oversized glasses leans across the wall with a spray can, while doves, bubbles and a purple streetscape turn the scene into a neighborhood daydream. ASHOP Crew’s official exterior-mural gallery features the playful character, whose scale makes the mischievous gesture even funnier.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsGraffiti Granny / Mémé la MainA'Shop (original); TYXNA (2023 reinterpretation) · 2013; redone 2023 · MontréalMURAL festivalPainted wall1A’Shop created the original grandmother mural in 2013.mymodernmet.com2TYXNA reinterpreted it in 2023.tyxna.com20134 JulContemporary coverage of the original A'Shop mural201710 AugStreet Art Cities record marked hunted; not an asserted capture date2023TYXNA reinterprets Mémé la Main202318 JunPhotograph of the updated version · camera date20263 JunCityNews recalls the 2023 refreshRead the full file →

Photo/source: Kris Murray, via the Street Art Utopia archive

🔗 Follow ASHOP Crew on Instagram

🎩 “Man With Two Hats” — By Henk Visch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦

A tall, thin bronze figure lifts a hat in each hand beside Dow’s Lake. It looks like a cheerful greeting, and it is one: a thank-you from the Netherlands.

💡 History Fact: The Netherlands gave the statue to Canada to thank Canadian soldiers for liberating the country in the Second World War, and an identical statue stands in Apeldoorn. It was unveiled in 2002.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe Man With Two HatsHenk Visch · 2002 · OttawaCanada–NetherlandsCommemorative sculpture1A bronze figure holds a hat in each hand.veterans.gc.ca2An identical monument stands in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.veterans.gc.ca200211 MayOttawa monument unveiled20065 OctLezumbalaberenjena’s photograph · camera date201531 MayBill Williams's local documentation202526 MayVeterans Affairs page updated; not a dated site inspectionRead the full file →

📷 Photo: “Man with two hats by Wilder” by Lezumbalaberenjena / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

🎼 Organ Pipes Meet a Rose Window — By Jason Wasserman in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦

Organ pipes rise toward a circular pattern that shifts from stained-glass color to a starry night sky. In his finished-work post, Wasserman says he based the MURAL Festival piece on the architecture of Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, combining its pipe organ with rose-window geometry. It stands at 4478 Rue De Bullion.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsBasilica-inspired muralJason Wasserman · MontréalArchitecturePainted wall1Organ pipes rise beneath a colorful circular motif.jasonwasserman.com2MURAL Festival confirms support from Notre-Dame Basilica.facebook.com2026Creation year reported in the photograph's caption202619 JulSerge C's dated photograph · camera dateRead the full file →