The Pull
'The Pull' is a sculpture located in Port Dalhousie, paying homage to the towhorses that played a crucial role in the history of the Welland Canals. Sculpted by Veronica and Edwin Dam de Nogales from Barcelona, Spain, and Floyd Elzinga from Beamsville, Ontario, this artwork combines bronze and weathering steel. The sculpture, completed in 2022, stands as a tribute to towhorses and their significant role in the history of the Welland Canals. During the construction of the canals, both human and animal workers suffered injuries and casualties.
Join us for the unveiling of 'The Pull' on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, at 1 p.m. at Lock One, 45 Lakeport Rd., St. Catharines.
Historical significance
The sailing ships of the early canal era were pulled through the channel with their sails furled. In 1842, there were 150 teams of horses stabled at the west end of Lakeside Park, near the entrance to the canal. Teams of horses, mules, or oxen – driven by a towboy – would move along a towpath that ran beside the canal all along its length. Teams were exchanged at locations along the route.
The canal passage between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario was a grueling experience for both humans and equine. The towpaths and canal banks were often covered in sticky mud, creating a treacherous and exhausting environment. The use of towhorses waned as sailing ships were replaced by steam and later diesel ships capable of transiting the canal under their own power.
Symbolism and design
‘The Pull’ captures a towhorse in mid-stride, its harness fastened, and its head leaning forward. According to the artists, “‘The Pull,’ is both commemorative and contemporary at once. It has one foot in the past, and one in the future. Attaching the shafts to the earth symbolizes the pulling forth of history, of toil, of chosen direction and intent, and a heaving forward of memory into the present.”
Commission and support
Commissioned by the Kiwanis Club of St. Catharines and the Port Dalhousie Beautification and Works Committee, with support from the Harbour Club, Niagara Community Foundation, private donors, and volunteers.
Sources cited
Roberta M. Styran and Robert R. Taylor. This Great National Object: Building the Nineteenth-Century Welland Canals. 2012.
Barlow Cumberland. A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River. 1913.