A sculptor is turning a much-loved, centuries-old tree from Old Ottawa South into a masterpiece.

The city cut down the Brighton Beach Park oak tree two years ago and now sculptor David Fels is giving the last remaining chunk new life.

He has turned the first four metres of the tree into a sculpture on display at Carleton University and is working on another two-tonne piece that's turning heads.

The final sculpture will be the centrepiece at Carleton's first International Accessibility Summit next summer.

You can see Fels sculpting with a chainsaw outside Carleton University, or in Ashley Burke's story above.