Spider sculpture's days of creeping out commuters are numbered, says City of Vancouver
A giant spider sculpture that has been creeping out some Vancouver commuters will soon be removed, according to the City of Vancouver.
It's been just over a week since the arachnid appeared underneath a bridge on the city's east side where it's visible to passengers on the Millenium Line Skytrain. Since then, a city spokesperson says there have been complaints and requests for its removal.
The piece is an "unsanctioned artwork" that will be taken down as soon as a plan is finalized to remove it safely and with minimal disruption," according to officials.
"The installation of this artwork was not done in consultation with the City of Vancouver or the rail corridor partners," the city's statement said.
"The removal of the unsanctioned artwork will follow the city’s impoundment process and the owner will have the ability to claim the piece via that process."
The owner, in this case, appears to be a Montreal-based artist who goes by the name of Junko who posted photos of the spider on Instagram with the caption, “Phobia 2023. Time to face our fears.” At the centre of the spider’s metallic body, a red light can be seen blinking.
An additional post shows how the sculpture was installed.
An exact timeline for the removal of the spider has not been established.
Junko is known for creating art out of reclaimed materials, and currently has two sanctioned sculptures of massive ants on display outside the Bentall Centre Gallery.
That installation, named Habitat, is part of the Vancouver Mural Festival’s Winter Arts event and will be on display until March 31.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada

Canada silent on Polish democratic backslide as prime minister visits Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcoming Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to Canada Friday as the federal Liberals keep quiet about a democratic backslide in his country.
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Kyiv defences thwart Russia's 6th air assault in 6 days against Ukraine capital
Ukrainian air defences shot down more than 30 Russian cruise missiles and drones in Moscow's sixth air attack in six days on Kyiv, local officials said Friday. The Ukrainian capital was simultaneously attacked from different directions by Iranian-made Shahed drones and cruise missiles from the Caspian region.
Biden trips after speech addressing U.S. Air Force Academy graduates
U.S. President Joe Biden quipped that he got 'sandbagged' Thursday after he tripped and fell -- but was uninjured -- while onstage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.
Hidden camera discovered in washroom at Gatineau, Que. elementary school
Gatineau police say officers responded to a call from staff at l’école l'Oiseau Bleu on Nelligan Street just after 10 a.m. Friday about a camera found in the washroom.
Jordan's crown prince weds scion of Saudi family in royal wedding packed with stars, symbolism
Jordan's crown prince married the scion of a prominent Saudi family on Thursday in a palace ceremony attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world, as massive crowds gathered across the kingdom to celebrate the region's newest power couple.
5 things to know for Friday, June 2, 2023
More Canadians have inflammatory bowel disease, Meta prepares to block news for some Canadians on Facebook and Instagram, and there's a fight for conservative voters in Manitoba.
Meta will test blocking news on Instagram, Facebook for some Canadians
Meta is planning to run a test that will block news for some Canadian users on Facebook and Instagram in response to the Liberal government's controversial online news bill.