Agriculture Art Installation Set to Be Completed Mid-October
Julia Sacco | Local Journalism Initiative
October 7, 2026
Ron Clavier’s Thanks for the Meal project has been more than a decade in the making, and in early September, the concrete foundation piles were laid for the first art installation in the series. The project is dedicated to celebrating farmers and agricultural history in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
On-site framing for the inaugural piece is scheduled for installation on Tuesday, October 13, with Niagara College trades students handling the task. The artwork will be installed onto the frame in subsequent weeks.
Indigenous artists Raymond Skye and Shayde Sandy conceptualized their design based on the legend of the Three Sisters, symbolizing how corn, beans, and squash grew together. Three women, or “sisters,” will rise 16 feet from the ground in the installation.
Concrete slab bases for the figures were poured on September 3 on the eastern side of Niagara Stone Road, between Hare Winery and Southbrook Vineyards. Clavier expressed his excitement upon laying the foundations:
"It had been a long time coming."
The team involved, including representatives from the Art Gallery of Niagara-on-the-Lake, set the installation date following a March meeting. In June 2025, Clavier successfully lobbied for the town to exempt visual art from its bylaw banning road signs by non-government groups and individuals.
Several councillors, including Erwin Wiens, voiced their support for the project. Clavier noted the positive reception:
"It made me feel good that people seem to get it. They seem to know what it is, it’s not just an exhibition."
He remains uncertain about the number of future installations but believes possibilities are "infinite". He aims to create pieces honoring groups such as Mennonites, Farmerettes, and British land grants, with a preference for local artisans contributing to the art.
"And that’s a way to bring people together. We have a huge amount of divisiveness in society. We have to start listening to each other and we have to start talking to each other like humans, which shouldn’t be as hard as it seems to be these days."
Twelve Niagara College trade students will assist with the field installation, which will be equipped with wind braces and bird spikes for stability. Clavier anticipates the group will begin work on the next installation by next spring. Following its completion, he plans to organize fundraising events to bring people together.