The Itsy-Bitsy-Spider went up the side of the building.
With the help of a crane.
Jesse Toso’s award-winning carving from last summer’s Transformations on the Shore carving competition found a permanent place of residence at 1170 Shopper’s Row last Thursday when Toso and his father Jim Toso, brothers Ryan Toso and David Stoski and friend Don Braithwaite lifted the 16-foot spider onto the side of Bruce Baikie’s building at 1170 Shopper’s Row.
“I carved the spider out of a Douglas fir log at this year’s Transformations on the Shore chainsaw carving competition and has been in pieces in my parent’s greenhouse since then, waiting for her new home,” Jesse said. “It was decided early on where she would end up as I had been telling then-president of the Shoreline Arts, Barb Sunday-Bitner how I had envisioned the giant spider hanging on a wall or on a building.
“The following day she was speaking with Bruce Baikie about the idea and he was keen to have it on the side of his building downtown. We all liked the idea of its location and we started the process of getting the necessary approvals and paperwork organized.
“I am really happy with the way it turned out and am pleased she has found a suitable home.”
Toso will be posting a time lapse video on his website www.stumpartist.com.
The hoisting of the spider began around 9 a.m. Dec. 27 and was finished by about noon.
The 16-foot, 150-pound spider has already attracted a lot of attention. On the Campbell River Mirror’s Facebook page, Daryl Riva Campion commented: “Going to take one big shoe to crush that one...”