Allstone creation vies for world record at show

March 11, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
Little Joe has a younger brother.
Schomberg’s Allstone Quarry Products has created the centrepiece for the Canada Blooms garden and flower festival, running March 13-22 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto.
The inukshuk is made of Ontario granite and stands three metres (10 feet) tall, spans nine feet across and weighs an estimated 24,000 pounds!
It’s part of the Landscape Ontario turf display, and raises the bar at the annual show.
“We are so excited and proud to have this massive inukshuk as a unique element of Canada Blooms,” said Terry Caddo, general manager of the festival. “It is a beautiful creation and impressive to see up close. It is a uniquely Canadian piece that we can celebrate in a spectacular setting.”
Landscape Ontario extended an invitation to Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, to be their special guest at “Industry Night” March 19. Industry Night brings together approximately 400 industry owners to celebrate the accomplishments of this sector.
Landscape Ontario represents the landscape industry that generates some $7 billion of economic activity and employs over 70,000 people. They are reaching out the minister to let him know about the potential for increased northern development. Currently one of the barriers to growth is the lack of education and awareness for Ontario’s quarried products. So much of the stone that the industry uses in the landscape is imported from India and China. This situation could be reversed through a combination of a “Choose Ontario” campaign in conjunction with the development of education and apprenticeship programs to ensure that the skills required for quarrying and installing stone are provided.
Joe Melo, owner of Allstone, said Landscape Ontario approached him with the request, and they’re hoping to snare a world record for the largest indoor inukshuk. Melo has had a long relationship with Landscape Ontario over the years and his centrepiece will be near the entrance to the show.
The structure is made of Ontario granite and should Gravelle take them up on the invitation, he’s more than happy to bend his ear about making Ontario granite more accessible.
Melo’s Little Joe is a well known landmark at the Schomberg facility on Highway 27.
Towering 11 metres high and weighing 82,000 kilos, Little Joe was named after Melo himself. It’s the tallest inukshuk in the world.
The sculpture is constructed from 11 granite slabs trucked in from the Grenville Mountains in the Canadian Shield, boasting some of the oldest rock formations in the world at 1.3 billion years old. These extremely large pieces of granite gneiss were extracted from Allstone’s quarry in Big Wood, Township, north of the French River.
Co-located with the National Home Show, Canada Blooms has been a showcase of the latest trends and innovations in gardens and landscaping for nearly two decades.
Canada Blooms is the industry’s showcase event, attracting more than 200,000 people.
Now in its 19th year, Canada Blooms was founded by Landscape Ontario and The Garden Club of Toronto. Each year it is supported by a committed group of partners, sponsors and volunteers.
Canada Blooms has been named One of Ontario’s Top 100 Events by Festivals and Events Ontario and One of North America’s Top 100 Events by the American Bus Association.
“Melo Landscaping and Allstone Quarries have long been pioneers and leaders in promoting the use of natural stone in the landscape,” said Tony DiGiovanni, director of Landscape Ontario.
The traditional Inuit meaning of the inukshuk is “you are the right path.” It is a profound symbol and message.
“The inukshuk is a reminder to the 200,000 visitors to Canada Blooms that taking care of the natural environment is the right path,” he said.
For more, visit http://canadablooms.com.