It was a mystery thought to be decades in the making.
But in fact, it was just one decade ago that a Toronto Blue Jays logo was carved into the sandstone of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.
“It was just a great little fun project,” said Craig Potter, the artist behind the carving, which features the recognizable Blue Jays logo, with the face of a bird and a small maple leaf on the side.
Until Wednesday, the origins of the carved emblem had been a bit of a mystery.
It was initially believed that staff noticed the logo following a restoration of the building’s exterior in the early 1990s, an era that coincided with the most successful period in the history of the Blue Jays, who won consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
But that wasn’t the case, Potter said. He actually carved the logo into the south facade of the building in 2015, during a 3½-year restoration project where he repaired decorative elements.
And it wasn’t his idea.
He was actually asked to do it by his supervisor, a big Toronto Blue Jays fan, who had spotted another baseball-inspired carving on the north side of the art gallery — a Boston Red Sox cap with the team’s signature B.
“So it was sort of a friendly gesture, let’s say,” Potter said. It’s believed the Red Sox cap was carved into the building in the ‘90s.
Potter said it’s common practice for stonemasons to carve something small to mark their work on a building.
“People will put their personal marks on things and in this case, I was asked to do this by my supervisor,” he said with a smile.
Colin Stinson, the gallery’s director of marketing, only learned of the Toronto emblem’s true origins on Wednesday, when Potter came forward.
“The mystery is solved,” Stinson said, when meeting Potter outside the art gallery.
As Canada’s only major league baseball team continues its dramatic playoff run, an increasing number of people have been visiting the gallery to see if they can spot the unusual carving.
“It’s gained some popularity over the past two weeks so we’ve seen a few more passersby stopping and having a look trying to find it,” Stinson told CBC Radio’s Information Morning Nova Scotia.
“As Blue Jays mania is on the rise, there’s more interest in the logo.”
Potter said it’s great to hear that more people are checking out the logo.
“It’s fantastic. I think this is an unfound gem for a lot of people who live here and for tourists as well,” he said.
Following Toronto’s 6-2 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night, the Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Game 5 goes Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium and Stinson said he hopes the carving serves as a good luck charm.
“When a community can rally around a team, I think that’s important, and if it’s a small logo on the side of the building that does that, I think it’s great,” he said.
“Or if it’s a team going into the biggest championship in the world, that’s even better.”
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