Campfire is a permanent public artwork at Humber Bay Shores in Etobicoke, Toronto, near the mouth of the Humber River. Unveiled on October 26, 2024, it is a flame more than 12 feet tall made of weathering (Corten) steel over a stainless steel core, set in a ring of paving with a carved granite "Story Rock". It was created by the Anishinaabe sculptor Michael Belmore with the Etobicoke-based artist and designer Herman Mejia, and it invites the community to gather as people have around fires for thousands of years.
This is an independent appreciation. Elite Fixtures did not design, fabricate or install Campfire. The work is by Michael Belmore and Herman Mejia and was fabricated by Eventscape. Photographs of the sculpture are on Eventscape's project page and Herman Mejia's page; the illustrations in this article are our own.
At a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Work | Campfire |
| Artists | Michael Belmore (Anishinaabe) and Herman Mejia (born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; based in Etobicoke) |
| Unveiled | October 26, 2024 |
| Location | Humber Bay Shores, on the waterfront trail near the mouth of the Humber River, Etobicoke, Toronto |
| Materials | Corten (weathering) steel over a stainless steel core; concrete pavers; a hand-carved granite boulder; LED lighting |
| Size | More than 12 ft high and 7.5 ft wide; the Story Rock weighs 1.5 tons |
| Commissioned by | City of Toronto, with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, under the Humber Bay Park Master Plan |
| Selection | Two-stage international public art competition |
| Advisory role | Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation |
| Engineering, fabrication and installation | Eventscape, Toronto |
| Status | Permanent; part of the City of Toronto Public Art and Monuments Collection |
The meaning of Campfire
A campfire is one of the oldest places people gather: to share food and stories and to pass on knowledge. The artists built the work around that idea, and it reflects the spirit of Indigenous placekeeping on a site with deep history for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who advised on the project.
Almost every part of the installation carries meaning:
- The fire ring and 13 pavers. The flame rises from a ring, with 13 concrete pavers radiating from it for the 13 Grandmother Moons of the lunar year.
- The Story Rock. Michael Belmore hand-carved a 1.5-ton granite boulder with figures from Anishinaabe cosmology: mishibizhiig (underwater panthers) and animikiig (thunderbirds).
- Children's drawings in the steel. Children from the Jean Augustine Centre drew animals, and those drawings were turned into custom perforations in the flame. They stand for the Grandfather Teachings: love, humility, bravery, honesty, wisdom, truth and respect.
- A window on the city. The flame has a hollow centre that frames the downtown Toronto skyline, and the site looks toward the sunrise.
At the unveiling, Belmore told CP24: "We found the right piece for the right place."
Why Corten over stainless steel
The material choice is the part that interests us most as fabricators. Weathering steel, often sold under the name Corten, is designed to rust in a controlled way. Over the first few years outdoors, repeated wetting and drying builds a dense brown oxide layer that slows further corrosion. That warm, earthy surface suits a flame and a site rooted in the land, and it will keep changing as it ages. Eventscape notes that the patina will develop over time.
Underneath, the sculpture has a stainless steel core. Pairing the two gives a structure that will not corrode from the inside, with a skin that changes colour and texture with the seasons.
How a piece like Campfire is built
Eventscape describes combining traditional craft with digital fabrication, using faceted panels. The sculpture stands on an engineered concrete footing and is lit at night by LED uplights. The detailed engineering has not been published, so the notes below are general to this kind of work.
From children's drawings to cut steel
Turning hand drawings into perforations means tracing each drawing into clean vector lines, checking that thin parts of the steel between cut-outs stay strong enough, and then cutting the panels by laser or waterjet. Every panel is different, so each is numbered against the 3D model before it is formed.
Joining two kinds of steel
Where weathering steel meets stainless steel, fabricators have to think about galvanic corrosion and about how water will drain. Isolating the metals at their contact points and giving water a way out keeps the joint sound and lets the Corten skin weather evenly.
Planning for rust run-off
While the patina is forming, weathering steel sheds rust-coloured run-off. On a paved plaza, that means designing drainage and choosing paving that either hides the staining or is protected from it.
A tall piece on a lakeside site
A 12-foot sculpture on an open waterfront takes real wind load. It needs a base plate and anchor rods sized by an engineer, set into a concrete footing below frost depth.
If you are commissioning a Corten sculpture in the GTA
- Check the site for salt. Weathering steel needs to dry out between wettings. Constant salt spray or de-icing salt near roads can stop a stable patina from forming.
- Design the drainage. Avoid pockets where water and leaves collect, and plan for run-off staining on paving below.
- Consider a stainless core. For hollow or perforated forms, a stainless internal structure avoids corrosion you can't see.
- Budget for the footing. Tall sculptures on open sites need engineered foundations below frost depth.
Elite Fixtures fabricates custom metal work in Toronto and stainless steel sculpture from designs supplied by artists and design studios. For another Toronto public artwork, see our guide to the Lassonde Art Trail.
FAQ
What is the Campfire sculpture at Humber Bay Shores?
Campfire is a permanent public artwork at Humber Bay Shores in Etobicoke, Toronto, unveiled on October 26, 2024. It is a flame more than 12 feet tall made of Corten steel over a stainless steel core, created by Michael Belmore and Herman Mejia and commissioned by the City of Toronto. It sits near the mouth of the Humber River.
Who made Campfire in Humber Bay?
Campfire was created by Michael Belmore, an Anishinaabe sculptor, and Herman Mejia, an artist and designer originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, now based in Etobicoke. The Toronto firm Eventscape engineered, fabricated and installed the sculpture. The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation played an advisory role.
What is Campfire made of?
Campfire is made of Corten weathering steel over a stainless steel core, and the flame is more than 12 feet high and 7.5 feet wide. The installation also includes 13 concrete pavers, a hand-carved 1.5-ton granite Story Rock and LED uplighting. Custom perforations in the steel come from children's animal drawings.
Why does Corten steel sculpture rust?
Corten, or weathering steel, is designed to rust on purpose. Repeated wet and dry cycles build a dense brown oxide layer, or patina, on the surface, which slows further corrosion. The patina usually stabilises over one to three years. It needs good drainage and does not form well where salt or standing water are constant.
Where is Humber Bay Shores?
Humber Bay Shores is a waterfront neighbourhood and park area in Etobicoke, in the west end of Toronto, where the Humber River meets Lake Ontario. Humber Bay Park and its trails run along the shore with views of the downtown skyline. Campfire stands beside the waterfront trail near the river mouth.
Sources
- City of Toronto unveils Campfire, a new Indigenous-led public art installation at Humber Bay Shores
- City Council member motion MM8.9 on the Humber Bay Shores public artwork (PDF)
- Campfire public art sculpture, Eventscape
- Campfire, Herman Mejia
- Campfire: new public art installation unveiled at Humber Bay Shores, CP24
- Toronto unveils public monument Campfire, Sign Media Canada
About this article
Elite Fixtures was not involved in creating Campfire. We wrote this piece as an appreciation of the work and an explainer on the craft behind Corten and stainless steel sculpture. The park photograph is from Wikimedia Commons under the licence in its caption; photographs of the sculpture are published by Eventscape and Herman Mejia; the diagrams are our own and do not depict the work.
Interested in working with the artists? Contact Michael Belmore or Herman Mejia directly. Elite Fixtures is a fabrication partner: we build work that artists and designers have already designed, and we don't create original artworks or make reproductions of existing ones. If you have your own concept for a Corten or stainless steel piece, talk to our team about fabrication.
