MADAWASKA, Maine — Madawaska will raise a 20-foot sculpture of an Acadian star later this year, courtesy of welding students at the St. John Valley Technology Center.
The sculpture itself will be created with pieces of the former international bridge that physically connected Madawaska with Edmundston, New Brunswick, for nearly a century.
The Acadian star is important in the St. John Valley region’s Acadian culture. The emblem dates back to 1884, when it was used by French settlers to show that although they were French, their culture had its own unique traditions.
The star, or Stella Maris, symbolizes guidance and hope, Madawaska Town Manager David Daigle said.
“It represents the idea of finding your way home, even through uncertainty, and that message resonates deeply in the St. John Valley today,” he said.
The sculpture will be installed in a prominent spot on Maine Street, Daigle said. The collaboration between the town, school and local artist makes the project truly unique, he said.
The huge star will incorporate materials from the former 100-year-old bridge, which was demolished in 2025. The students will get hands-on experience, but what’s most important is the sense of pride they’ll gain, Daigle said.
“These students are helping to tell the story of who we are as a community,” he said. “And that connection matters.”
Kevin Lavoie, who directs the St. John Valley Tech Center, said he was both proud and humbled that the town asked him and his students to create the piece.
“This old bridge is a part of our history, and we are going to reuse a part of that history to signify a new beginning,” he said.
Grand Isle artist Dan Cayer pitched the idea to the town last year, unveiling a small-scale version of the finished piece during an August selectmen meeting.
Lavoie said he met with town officials and the school’s welding instructor, Tony Paradis, and told the town that they were up for the challenge. In addition to learning valuable welding skills, the students are learning about the star’s importance to the region’s history.
Students are excited to help build the star, because it will stand as a visible connection to the region’s culture.
“When I first saw the meaning behind it, I thought this was pretty cool,” student Tanner Marquis said.
“I was excited to be a part of this project because it will be a part of the community for many years to come, and be seen by many generations,” Piper Ashley said.
Student Collin Pelletier said he wanted to take part because he thought it would be a very cool project that many people will see.
The welders will use torches to cut the bridge girders, which are 20 feet long, and then use those 20-feet pieces to form the pentagon in the middle that shapes the star.
“It’s a matter of taking the remnants of the bridge that are 20 feet in length and creating the star,” Lavoie said. “There should be minimal cutting lengthwise. It should be more diagonally cutting to put those pieces together to form the star points.”
The work will happen primarily at the Frenchville tech center, but the final welding of the larger pieces will likely take place at the sculpture’s Main Street location. They can’t transport the entire finished sculpture because it would extend into both lanes of traffic, Lavoie said.
Students at the technology center have undertaken collaborative projects in the past, including a bathroom system next to Frenchville’s gazebo, dugouts for local schools and an art piece at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, but none that come close to the scale of this 20-foot bridge.
“I’m always an advocate for community involvement,” Lavoie said, “because at the end of the day, the tech center is an educational facility to educate students in the trades and we work collaboratively with business stakeholders. And this is taxpayer-driven, so we want to be involved and give back and showcase the skillsets of our students.”
Students, in addition to learning welding skills, will also learn mathematics skills in the creation of the massive sculpture, Lavoie said.
About 10 students will create the sculpture, aiming for a mid-August deadline. The group will utilize additional help if necessary, but Lavoie favors giving the students every opportunity to complete the project on their own and gain a sense of pride.
That pride will spread throughout the region, Daigle said.
“For the Acadian people, the star has always been a reminder of resilience, family and belonging,” he said. “This sculpture is a way of celebrating that spirit and recognizing the strength of the culture that continues to shape our region.”