A Calgary stargazer is urging the city to dim the lights of a new public art piece, Bloom, on St. Patrick’s Island, raising concerns the brightness could disturb the area’s wildlife and cause an ecological imbalance.
Roland Dechesne, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Calgary chapter, said the assembly of street lights installed in the newly revitalized park shines too brightly at night and in all directions due its geometry.
“I think the structure is quite artistic, don’t get me wrong, I think the structure is very cool. I think the issue is the level of illumination and the way the light is being directed,” Dechesne said. “A brightly lit structure right on the margin of the Bow River is ecologically insensitive.”
In addition to washing out the stars in the sky, Dechesne said he worries the “glare-y fixture” will have adverse effects on the fish and wildlife that pass through the migration corridor. He also expressed concerns about the lights creating a “mismatch in the environment.” For example, most common bat species tend to avoid lit areas, which could result in a large population of insects, which are attracted to light, he said.
Dechesne questioned whether Bloom’s light contravenes the city’s Bright Skies Initiative, which outlines guidelines that balance safety needs but also curb light pollution in the city for new developments, and for which he provided extensive input.
The public art piece Bloom by artist Michel de Broin on St. Patrick’s Island.
Susan Veres, spokeswoman with the project’s developer, the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, said her organization has not received any complaints about Bloom, but the light is on a dimmer switch and can be adjusted if necessary.
“It would just be a manual change we would make here,” Veres said, adding the piece is “sensitive” to dusk changes. “We haven’t received any complaints, but if there were requests coming in to dim it or to brighten it, we would consider those. At this juncture, we haven’t had any request for either.”
Veres added there was “extensive consultation” on the installation years ago, but the corporation is always open to any adjustments that need to be made.
Coun. Druh Farrell, who represents the area, said she also has not heard any complaints or concerns about the light emanating from Bloom.
“Most people really like the piece. I’m glad to hear it can be dimmed,” Farrell said, adding that in general, she, too, shares concerns about light pollution in the city.
The seven-tonne $500,000 installation by Montreal artist Michel de Broin is part of the two-year revitalization project at St. Patrick’s Island, which reopened to the public at the end of July. The artist told reporters in May the piece was made to look like “flowers or blooming,” and hoped it “breeds a natural element.”
Both Dechesne and Richard White, of the Everyday Tourist blog, said Bloom is anything but natural.
White pointed out in his blog post that, unlike the art installation on 96th Avenue N.E. entitled Travelling Light (better known as the Giant Blue Ring), Bloom has largely avoided controversy, with many online commenters lauding the artwork and the park overall.
However, his issue with Bloom is that it is “awkward,” “all urban” and lacks colour.
In general, light pollution can have adverse effects on the health of wildlife and humans, Dechesne said.
