In Borden Park this morning, workers were preparing for an exhibition of animatronic dinosaurs which will be open to the public September 24-26. Today’s park visitors were drawn to watch the hive of activity from behind red metal fences. We peered through the spaces to watch dinosaurs, wrapped in plastic, being carefully manoeuvred into place

As I was looking, a mother and small child came by. The little girl appeared to be about five years old, and she stopped to talk to me. She was very worried that they had put a dinosaur next to “the octopus.” She said “The dinosaur will eat the octopus!” and I agreed that she might be right.

What she called an octopus is actually a work of public art entitled Vaulted Willow by artist Marc Fornes. I took this photo of it in October 2018.

The workers had placed a large animatronic dinosaur close by, and she was quite distressed about it. After talking to me, she spent a long time trying to get the attention of two of the workers to explain the problem. When they eventually listened to her one of them promised to look into it. The other invited her to come back in a couple of days and see the exhibition in action.

As the little girl and her mother were walking away, the girl did not look reassured in the least, so her mother said “Maybe they’ll become friends.” I concurred saying “Yes. If they spend enough time together, they will probably become friends.” I could see her weighing that likelihood with due scepticism.