WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester unveiled a new statue Thursday depicting Tobias Boland and Benjamin Wright, two men who helped build the original Blackstone Canal.

The statue is positioned at the front of Rockland Trust Plaza and greets passersby at what is a gateway to Polar Park and a connection point between the Canal District and downtown. 

Allen Fletcher, who owns the nearby Worcester Public Market and has long been a supporter of the neighborhood, said the vision of Boland lives on today.

"The people who used to come to our lunch thought we were talking about a canal, we weren't taking about a canal,” he said. “We were talking about a vibrant community a district that was alive and full of energy and full of people walking around. When this is unveiled you look into Tobias' eyes and he's pointing somewhere. You might think he's pointing to the canal, he's pointing to the future."

The statue was created by sculptor Robert Shure.