The winter has come and gone, and Markham’s infamous cow statue is still standing tall.

Last fall, Markham city council voted to move the 25-foot-high statue from its current home in a small parkette on Charity Cres., to greener pastures, after complaints from local residents that the stainless steel bovine on stilts had been installed with little consultation and was “terrifyingly close” to their homes.

The larger than life tribute to one of the country’s most famous show cows was donated and installed by developer Helen Roman-Barber, in honour of her father, who once owned the farm that was replaced by the subdivision of Cathedraltown that now sits near Elgin Mills and Woodbine Ave.

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Stephen Roman had purchased a 50-per-cent share in Brookview Tony Charity in 1985 for a then-record $1.45 million. His daughter said Charity Cres. had been planned as the final home for the statue named Charity: Perpetuation of Perfection.

But residents protested that they had no say in the placement of the public art piece, and that Charity could be seen peering inside their homes, including their children’s bedrooms, at all times of the day.

In October, council voted that the move would take place once Markham had ownership of the donated art piece and could figure out where to put it.

Six months later, the wheels of municipal bureaucracy have turned ever so slightly.

In an email update to councillors, staff said they had given Roman-Barber until March 9 to take the sculpture back, according to the terms set out in an agreement between the two parties.

But “no response was provided by the donor,” by that deadline, implying the city would then take ownership of it.

Ed Shiller, a representative for Roman-Barber, did not respond to questions about whether they will take the statue back.

In the meantime, staff said they are evaluating the “timing, readiness and cost” for each of the three alternative locations for the sculpture which include a future urban park at Victoria Square Blvd./Betty Roman Blvd., Frisby Park, Arboretum and Heritage Orchard. They will also assess the “method and cost to remove, transport and reassemble the sculpture in a new location” and expect to bring the report to council sometime in April.

But local councillor Alan Ho says the city is still finalizing the ownership details. He admits the process has taken longer than it should. And despite the willingness of council to see the sculpture moved, he says he can’t guarantee it will happen before the municipal election this fall.

“I am quite sure it will be done before the election, but I can’t be sure 100 per cent.”

Local resident Danny Da Silva, who has been leading the charge against Charity, said the entire process has been “frustratingly slow.”

“There’s still no definitive plan after all these months,” said Da Silva, who says the statue continued to draw tourists in the winter.

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“Considering how fast they put it up. It’s unbelievable how long it is taking to bring it down,” he said. “We just want this thing out of here.”

Da Silva says despite seeing the cow every day for nearly a year, he still hasn’t warmed up to Charity’s presence.

“Most people will get used to any kind of torture over time,” he said. “It’s just driving me crazy.”

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