The Sir Frederick G. Banting Square

Seldom do we ever get the opportunity to stand in the place where momentous history was made. On October 31, 1920, at 442 Adelaide Street, Fredrick Banting discovered insulin and set the course to end the suffering and save the lives of billions of people worldwide. This story is portrayed through four very diverse public artworks just outside of Banting house on Sir Fredrick G. Banting Square.

The first artwork is simply conspicuous because it is literally a bowl of fire; an eternal flame atop a 15-tonne onyx granite obelisk. It is a monument called The Flame of Hope which serves as a reminder that insulin manages diabetes but does not cure it; yet it stands for the hope that a cure will soon be found which will then extinguish the flame. The 2-meter-tall monument was designed by Robert Geard and the flame was first kindled before 4,000 spectators by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on July 7, 1989.

Just a few feet away stands an expressive representation of Banting, captured by sculptor John Miecznikowski, portraying the very moment Banting conceptualized the essence of his great discovery – a process ignited by twenty-five words that were furiously scribbled in his notebook in the late hours of the night. Perhaps the Flame of Hope, so close to the statue, represents in this case, a burning candle beside his desk, illuminating his thoughts, or maybe it represents a burning desire inside Banting’s soul.

Miecznikowski is a master in the portrait tradition, with public sculptures including such notable Canadian heroes such as David Suzuki and Margaret Atwood. What makes Miecznikowski’s portrait of Banting stand out is his attention to detail and his ability to create an intimate feeling; the moment of profound inspiration, between the sculpture and the viewer.

Further back on the side of the house is a contemporary interpretation depicted on a mural called the Epiphany by local artist Nohl Reiser. Banting’s twenty-five-word hypothesis accumulates tenaciously along the top half of the graffiti style painting, echoing the frenetic pace of his original thought. On the bottom sprouts Reiser’s spray-painted interpretation of one of Banting’s landscape paintings. You may be surprised to know that Banting was a fervid amateur painter and a close friend of A.Y. Jackson, a leading member of the Group of Seven.

Beside the mural toward the back of the square sits an equally radiant Globe sculpture. It is a creative articulation known as Canada’s gift to the world and pays homage to the many national and international visitors who come to Banting House. The globe itself is made out of plexi glass which encases a Southern axis of what seem to be fire; perhaps a reference to the Flame of Hope, and a Northern hemisphere of twinkling stars, which could reference the nighttime discovery of Banting’s initial vision. Completed in 2010 by Daniel Castillo, the globe is placed on top of a time capsule that was entombed in 1991 and will be opened when a cure is found.