The Toronto Blue Jays captured the imagination of many fans leading up to the 2013 season, but few responded on the same scale as Lisa and Steve Cooper.
The Zephyr, Ont. couple grew a 10-acre corn labyrinth in the shape of the Blue Jays’ logo as a tribute to their favourite team.
“There was so much hype and we thought this is going to be one heck of a year to get behind the Blue Jays,” Lisa Cooper says. “It was non-stop Blue Jays everywhere and we wanted to support the team and show our support.”
The team’s recent uniform change provided a little extra incentive.
“We love the old-style bird logo,” Cooper says.
The Coopers created the Blue Jays logo by planting 10 acres of corn with no gaps, outlining the desired shape with small flags, refining the design, and hiring help to perfect the shape.
The process may sound complex, but after eight years of creating similar labyrinths, Cooper says it’s basically a matter of setting up a grid and sticking to it.
“It’s really as simple as Grade 6 math,” she says.
The corn labyrinth brings people to the farm, where they purchase the Coopers’ produce and harvest food of their own in the farm’s community-supported agriculture produce program.
The tradition of the corn labyrinth began in 2006 and has since featured a variety of designs, including the Toronto Maple Leafs’ logo.
Situated 20 minutes East of Newmarket, Ont., the Coopers have cheered for the Blue Jays for years and attend games on occasion. While the 2013 season has been an undisputed disappointment, Cooper believes the 57-69 Blue Jays will improve next year.
“You can’t be fair-weather fans,” she says. “You’ve got to support them whether they’re good or bad, and you can’t abandon them because of one bad year.”
