Community Profile: Phoebe the Ficus

This month we’re featuring a non-human friend of Heritage: Phoebe the Ficus! Who is Phoebe The Ficus, why is she our community profile subject this month, and how did she end up occupying central stage at Heritage LSL’s Resource Center in Rimouski? Read on to find out!It all happened back in 2024, when Grant Scarratt, the athletic son of Becca and Michael Scarratt, was working at Desjardins in Rimouski. He was helping to renovate the Desjardins building and knew that several items including this large potted ficus tree would end up in the landfill if he could not find a new owner.Grant knew exactly whom to call: Mom. Now, for those of you who may not know Becca, she may indeed be one of the most resourceful and well-connected people in all of Rimouski! Her instinct was to phone Anna Cone at Heritage. And sooner than you can snap your fingers, the potted ficus tree found a new home at the Rimouski Resource Centre.The next challenge was to give this tree a name. Anna organized a naming competition and, after several weeks, the name “Phoebe” was selected. Voilà! Phoebe The Ficus was born! Thanks to those who submitted names and also big thanks to Grant, Becca and Anna.And now, after almost two calm years at Heritage’s Resource Center in Rimouski, our ficus-friend Phoebe is once again on the move. This time, she will accompany Joan Sullivan and James Darling to Cacouna for a month-long residency inside the Saint Georges Church as part of the climate-themed “Si j’étais un arbre” exhibit. This exhibit is made possible by a generous grant from the Trellis Micro-Grants which are managed by the English Language Arts Network (ELAN) and funded by Canadian Heritage.Joan and James’ opening will take place on Sunday, July 20th as part of a day-long event in the center of Cacouna. This happening starts off with “Kasala et poutine” (10:30), followed by a picnic and open mic with Hugo Latulippe (12h), followed by Joan and James’ opening (13:30), and ending the day with a concert at the Saint James’ Church (15:00).Now, back to Phoebe The Ficus: she will be installed inside the Saint Georges Church next to Joan’s imaginary trees “on fire” (a body of work inspired by the catastrophic 2023 wildfires). Visitors to the church will find a table with cards and markers to hand write messages of hope for the future and then to hang their messages on to Phoebe The Ficus. Towards the end of the exhibit (date to be announced), these messages will be read aloud in public in the town square in front of the Church. We hope many of you will make the journey to Cacouna to add your messages of hope to this famous ficus.At the end of the Cacouna exhibit on Saturday August 16, Phoebe The Ficus will return home to Rimouski. Who doesn’t love a fun summer road trip in the Lower St. Lawrence?With special thanks to Joan Sullivan.