The Heritage Carousels at the North Bay waterfront are much loved in the community, with kids and adults alike riding the locally painted horses.
Ever thought you love to have one of your own? You can!
The North Bay Heritage Railway & Carousel have four spare horses that are being sold off as a fundraiser.
After the mini-train opened in 1994, planning began in 1998 to create a carousel as the next addition to the attraction.
Once the logistics for the carousel were in place, the next item of business was to have horses carved for the carousel.
"Chuck Kaparich of Missoula, Montana carved 28 horses and the North Bay Wood Carvers carved nine," says Naomi Hehn, Curator of the North Bay Museum.
"Each of these horses was put up for adoption and were adopted in about three months. Other parts of the carousel were then put up for adoption, thus raising funds to pay for the horses and to paint and furbish the carousel which opened in 2002."
Local artists were approached to paint the 33 horses and 28 original paintings of local scenes.
A rocking chariot, stationary chariot, spinning tub, and band organ were carved using local designs that reflect the wildlife of northern Ontario. The carousel was assembled by dedicated volunteers.
In addition to the horses carved for the carousel, four additional horses were carved around 2004.
"Ultimately, the horses were not needed for the carousel, and the Heritage Railway & Carousel are giving community members a chance to purchase these horses, now mounted on rockers, as part of a fundraiser for the Train and Carousel," explained Hehn.
The hand-carved one-of-a-kind rocking horses are for sale for $800 each, with all proceeds going toward the ongoing operational needs of the Heritage Railway & Carousel.
"The North Bay Heritage Train and Carousel is happy to provide an opportunity for community members the chance to purchase beautiful hand carved rocking horses while supporting our ongoing operations," said Don Coutts, Heritage Train and Carousel Treasurer. "While Covid-19 restrictions have forced the attraction to stay closed again this year, we continue to incur expenses for ongoing maintenance despite the closure. Purchasing one of these horses will help us to continue to cover our expenses while planning for our reopening in 2022."
The North Bay Museum is assisting with the sale of the rocking horses. You can see the details at the links below or the North Bay Museum’s Facebook Page, or can contact Sarah Aubertin at [email protected] or call the museum at 705-476-2323.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-
