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The Ha! Ha! Pyramid (french: links=yes, Pyramide des Ha! Ha!) is a
The neighbourhood of Grande-Baie suffered heavy damage from the flood of 1996. Ten people died and between 12,000 to 16,000 residents were displaced. Some 500 to 800 buildings were destroyed, more than 1,200 damaged, and damage estimates ranged from .
The project was therefore seen as a form of therapy to help residents recover from the traumatic events of the flood, and to revitalise the area by adding a new tourist and artistic attraction. A group of local citizens formed The Restoration Committee of Ha! Ha!, put forward the idea for a new art installation, and requested help from local artist Jean-Jules Soucy. Soucy submitted a contemporary design that would express both "originality and a sense of humor".
The project called for the full restoration of the Ha! Ha! River, on whose banks the project is situated, and the construction of a new public park in the area where a bridge once stood, which would contain the high pyramid and an area for public performances.
The project was estimated to cost $2 million, and was completed in several stages. The Ha! Ha! park was completed in 1998 for a total of $1.3 million, and was officially inaugurated during the 2000 Festival of Lac-Saint-Jean. Financing was achieved through a public-private partnership, including a fund-raising campaign that netted $300,000. Finally, in 2005, a public square was completed next to the project at a cost of $35,000.
contemporary art
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...
monument commemorating the Saguenay flood of 1996. Located in the district of La Baie
La Baie (French pronunciation: / la bɛ/, Quebec French pronunciation: / la be/) is one of three boroughs in the city of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. It was created during Quebec's municipal reorganization in 2002. From 1976 to 2001, it was know ...
in Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay ( , , ) is a city in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City by overland route. It is about upriver and northwest of Tadoussac, located at the confluence with the St. ...
, the pyramid was named after the nearby Ha! Ha! River. Conceived as a form of therapy to help residents recover from the traumatic events of the flood, it is covered in 3,000 yield sign
In road transport, a yield or give way sign indicates that merging drivers must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops or slows down to let another vehicle through has yielded the right of w ...
s, based on the similarity of pronunciation of the French words for "to yield" (''céder'' ) and "to help each other" (''s'aider'' ).
History
The neighbourhood of Grande-Baie suffered heavy damage from the flood of 1996. Ten people died and between 12,000 to 16,000 residents were displaced. Some 500 to 800 buildings were destroyed, more than 1,200 damaged, and damage estimates ranged from .
The project was therefore seen as a form of therapy to help residents recover from the traumatic events of the flood, and to revitalise the area by adding a new tourist and artistic attraction. A group of local citizens formed The Restoration Committee of Ha! Ha!, put forward the idea for a new art installation, and requested help from local artist Jean-Jules Soucy. Soucy submitted a contemporary design that would express both "originality and a sense of humor".
The project called for the full restoration of the Ha! Ha! River, on whose banks the project is situated, and the construction of a new public park in the area where a bridge once stood, which would contain the high pyramid and an area for public performances.
The project was estimated to cost $2 million, and was completed in several stages. The Ha! Ha! park was completed in 1998 for a total of $1.3 million, and was officially inaugurated during the 2000 Festival of Lac-Saint-Jean. Financing was achieved through a public-private partnership, including a fund-raising campaign that netted $300,000. Finally, in 2005, a public square was completed next to the project at a cost of $35,000.
Description
The pyramid is a high aluminum structure covered in 3,000yield sign
In road transport, a yield or give way sign indicates that merging drivers must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops or slows down to let another vehicle through has yielded the right of w ...
s with standard reflective coating. The design of the signs were noted by Soucy to be similar to the Greek delta (Δ). The signs are meant to encourage people to help one another, as the French word for "yield", ''céder'', is pronounced the same as ''s'aider'', meaning "to help each other".
A central staircase provides access to an observation deck which allows views of the Haha portion of the surrounding Saguenay River
__NOTOC__
The Saguenay River () is a major river of Quebec, Canada.
It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east; the city of Saguenay is located on the river. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River. T ...
valley. On the pyramid's interior walls there are a number of plaques dedicated to local families engraved with the names of those who were directly affected by the flood.
Recognition
In 2007 the pyramid was one of three finalists for the "new development prize" from ''Les Arts et la Ville'', a nonprofit organisation that supports the artistic and cultural life of smaller municipalities.
References
{{reflist, 30em Pyramids in Canada Buildings and structures in Saguenay, Quebec Buildings and structures completed in 1998 1998 establishments in Quebec