When Ty Pagnello sees a moose, he does not just see it as a majestic wild animal. He also views it as part of his identity. They were prominent in the hunting stories told by his father and grandfather. He is continually reminded of them at the family cottage in Haliburton County, where a set of moose antlers hangs on the wall, and where encounters occasionally occur.
To Pagnello, a moose represents a connection to nature and family. That’s why it was only natural that the 32-year-old electrician from Pickering — who spends his spare time creating sculptures out of repurposed metal parts — decided that a full-sized bull moose would be his most ambitious piece yet.
Pagnello has been working on the sculpture, which now weighs half a ton and stands seven-feet tall at its back, for about two years. The project, being built at the cottage, has taken on a life of its own with community support in materials and encouragement.
“More than anything, this is a tribute to my father and grandfather,” he says.
Pagnello has been creating small metal sculptures for several years. His first was a flower created for his mother for Valentine’s Day. As she showed off that gift, people began asking how to get them and the small metal birds that he made as garden ornaments.
“It became a nice little side business,” he said.
Soon after, he received more validation, when a deer skull he made of auto parts was used in a set on an Amazon TV show.
“I started to go bigger and more intricate with my deer skulls, and more realistic as well, just for the intention of placing one at the bar I made at our Haliburton cottage. I’ve had commissions for these as well,” he said.
All this led him to the massive moose he is creating. The project began in earnest after his cousin’s ATV caught fire. While everyone else saw a ruined vehicle that needed to be disposed of, Pagnello saw the parts he needed to create the moose. Every last part is now inside the sculpture’s caged frame.
When it is done, Pagnello plans to place it at the end of the cottage driveway near Redstone Lake where so many of his moose memories were made. He hopes all who pass by can pay homage to one of our great game animals.
People have offered the old tools of deceased loved ones as a way of memorializing them. Others have provided pieces of metal from implements that possess local significance or history. Pagnello feels this community adds more meaning to it.
Originally published in the Summer Bassin' 2026 issue of Ontario Out of Doors magazine
