It was a mystery that was thought to have been decades in the making.
But in fact, it was only a decade ago that the Toronto Blue Jays logo was carved into the sandstone of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.
“It was just a really fun little project,” said Craig Potter, the artist behind the carving, which features the recognizable Blue Jays logo, with a bird’s face and a small maple leaf on the side.
Until Wednesday, the origin of the carved emblem had been a mystery.
It was initially believed that staff noticed the logo following a restoration of the building’s exterior in the early 1990s, an era that coincided with the most successful period in the history of the Blue Jays, who won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
But that wasn’t the case, Potter said. In fact, he engraved the logo on the south façade of the building in 2015, during a three-and-a-half-year restoration project in which he repaired decorative elements.
And it wasn’t his idea.
In fact, he was asked to do it by his supervisor, a big Toronto Blue Jays fan, who had seen another baseball-inspired carving on the north side of the art gallery: a Boston Red Sox cap with the team’s B signature.
“So it was kind of a friendly gesture, let’s say,” Potter said. The Red Sox cap is believed to have been carved into the building in the 1990s.
Potter said it is common practice for stonemasons to carve something small to mark their work on a building.
“People put their personal marks on things, and in this case, my supervisor asked me to do it,” he said with a smile.
Colin Stinson, the gallery’s marketing director, only learned of the true origins of the Toronto emblem on Wednesday, when Potter showed up.
“The mystery is solved,” Stinson said, as he met Potter outside the art gallery.
As Canada’s only major league baseball team continues its dramatic playoff run, an increasing number of people have visited the gallery to see if they can spot the unusual carving.
“It’s gained some popularity in the last couple of weeks, so we’ve seen a few more passersby stop and take a look trying to find it,” Stinson told CBC Radio. Information tomorrow Nova Scotia.
“As Blue Jays mania heats up, there’s more interest in the logo.”
Potter said it’s great to know that more people are looking at the logo.
“It’s fantastic. I think it’s an unknown gem for a lot of people who live here and also for tourists,” he said.
Following Toronto’s 6-2 win in Game 4 on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Game 5 begins Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, and Stinson said he hopes the carving serves as a good luck charm.
“When a community can rally around a team, I think that’s important, and if it’s a little logo on the side of the building that does that, I think that’s great,” he said.
“Or if it’s a team that’s going to the biggest championship in the world, that’s even better.”
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