Gordon Lightfoot has been honoured with the unveiling of a sculpture of the famous singer-songwriter as a young man. It sits on the lakefront of Lightfoot’s hometown of Orillia where the ceremony was witnessed by hundreds of fans. Lightfoot is 76 and a resident of South Bayview. The event was attended by his wife and daughter and the mayor of Orillia. Artist Timothy Schmalz of St. Jacobs created the four-metre-high bronze work called “Golden Leaves, A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot.” It is located at Barnfield Point on the Gordon Lightfoot Trail. The sculpture depicts a bearded Lightfoot in his 20s sitting on the ground and looking down contemplatively as he plays an acoustic guitar. A wreath of leaves in the shape of a giant maple leaf artistically frames him. Some of the leaves depict scenes from songs on his 1975 album “Gord’s Gold.”
