The Island of Warmth has gone cold for good in downtown Barrie.
The interactive light display at Meridian Place has been dark since at least Dec. 23 and will not shine again.
“Due to unforeseen technical issues, the Island of Warmth display will not be operational again and will be removed on Jan. 4,” said Steve Lee Young, the city’s recreation manager. “Staff found out last week that it was experiencing technical issues and both staff and the installer worked on it throughout the week.
“It was determined that a solution to the issue could not be found in time to repair it prior to its scheduled removal,” Lee Young added. “It is not known at this point what the cause of the issue is and therefore the cost of repairs is not known.”
He said the city is still in discussions with the installer.
“Until we know the exact cause, we won’t be certain who is responsible for any repairs,” Lee Young said. “At this point, we aren’t anticipating any costs for the city associated with the piece.”
The Island of Warmth was to be on display until Jan. 3, 2022.
Its interactive features included an electrifying campfire, made of 154 incandescent light bulbs, that came to life with music. The display also allowed visitors to generate the fire’s sounds and movements through sensors placed under the floor of the platform.
Dancing and jumping around it stirred up embers and sent the flames higher, swirling and whirling, creating heat, light and music.
The Island of Warmth was first presented in Montreal’s downtown cultural district as part of Montreal en Lumiere, an annual winter festival. It was created and executed by Félix Dagenais and Louis-Xavier Gagnon-Lebrun, in collaboration with Jean-Sébastien Côté and Benjamin de Leener.
