Beloved Fredericton stone beaver statues getting second life with conservation

A team in Fredericton, N.B. is using toothbrushes, scalpels and steamers to spray, pick, massage and brush a 1,300 kilogram limestone sculpture of two beavers that has sat in the heart of the city for more than six decades.

Carving a sculpture takes artistic skill and a vision, and so does restoring one.

A team in Fredericton, N.B. is using toothbrushes, scalpels and steamers to spray, pick, massage and brush a 1,300 kilogram limestone sculpture of two beavers that has sat in the heart of the city for more than six decades.

Eight years ago, it was sent into storage at the start of Officers’ Square revitalization project.

Cracks had formed. The beloved public art piece was in danger of splitting.

Nova Scotia-based conservator Michelle Gallinger and her team are tasked with reviving the two beavers.

“I think I have one of the best jobs, because when I clean something, it's not like doing your dishes,” she said.

“When I clean something, it gets cleaned and repaired and whatever else. And then, everybody just all of a sudden notices the object.”