Last week, scaffolding was erected around the decades-old iconic fish sculpture Husky the Muskie in the town of Kenora in northwestern Ontario.

But before panic could set in, city officials informed the public of an “extensive” facelift planned for the city’s de facto mascot.

Next week, a team of experts from Dinosaur Valley Studios in Drumheller will arrive from Alberta to begin work on the 12-meter tall sculpture.

“We’ve done similar projects like this all across Canada…so our reputation has been built over the years for this type of work,” said company president Frank Hadfield.

Hadfield, who has a background in paleontology, has worked on everything from skeletal reconstructions to museum exhibits to film sets.

Over the years, he has also worked on roadside attractions, including an eight-metre-long replica of a northern pike trevally in Rochon Sands, Alberta, and the Gimli Viking in Manitoba.

Hadfield, who grew up in Manitoba, said Husky the Muskie would be a special project, as the sculpture is popular in the Ontario region.

“I remember as a kid driving around Kenora and waiting to see Husky the Muskie, the giant monument. So it has sentimental value,” he said, adding that most people he had spoken to about the project had heard of or seen the sculpture.

“This thing is so well known in Ontario and even in Canada.”

Hadfield said most of his activities focus on creating exhibits for natural history museums, but he has recently worked more with the film industry and to restore monuments.

“I am often contacted by family members, friends and sometimes even by the cities themselves who hear about us,” he said, adding that many people who contact us do not realize that there are many companies that do this kind of work.

Hadfield said it was his brother who started the project to give Husky the Muskie a facelift.

When his brother sent him a photo, Hadfield said he noticed the sculpture needed some touch-ups, so he contacted the City of Kenora to offer help.

Dinosaur Valley Studios will begin restoration of the fish sculpture next week, and it will primarily consist of painting and touching up damaged portions of its surface, Hadfield said.

Husky the Muskie was built in 1967 as a Canadian Centennial project by the city’s Chamber of Commerce. It is considered a symbol of awareness of Ontario’s lakes and prevention of water pollution.

It was originally built with materials such as nearly a ton of steel, 36 sheets of plywood and 3,500 bolts, and has been restored twice – in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Husky the Muskie is an icon in the City of Kenora for residents and visitors alike,” Mayor Dan Reynard said in a statement. “The city is excited to begin work on this project to restore this important attraction to our community.”

The city said the project is part of the Harbourfront 2019 Business Development Plan and is supported by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, FedNor and the City of Kenora’s Municipal Accommodation Tax. .