Heritage Archives - Mural Routes

BISKAABIIYAANG

The mural name is an Anishinaabe word that describes the experience of having been on a long journey, and returning home (returning to your true self).

A Time for Pollinators

The mural’s ‘Bees and Urban Pollinators’ theme recognizes Riverside’s hidden green spaces that maintain wildflowers and local hives, as well as the area’s growing bee-keeping culture in the east-end.

This design featuring forms and visuals drawn from nature aims to remind passersby of the restorative peace, solitude and joy that can be found in the natural world that is so inextricably linked with the city of Toronto.

Nokomis

I created this mural for my Grammie. I wanted to give thanks to her and honour her life and her journey. She was a genocidal camp survivor, (formerly known as residential “school” survivor) and I am here today and have my culture, because she survived.

Mural representing the history of the neighbourhood with the imagery of a hare running down the river

Wabos Sipi

Mural commissioned by the committee “Habiter mon quartier du vieux-Masson”, painted on the St-Jean de Brébeuf primary school, acrylic on bricks, 45′ by 36′, 2019

Water Warriors

This piece of public art celebrates the strength of women as water warriors. The process in creating this piece started with a stroll through the Riverside community photographing local female pedestrians. Then I took those photos and digitally manipulated them, overlaying vintage Toronto maps of the region. These images were then printed on paper 12…

M’wikwedong Manitous

As a child growing up in Toronto and swimming in the waters of Georgian Bay, I was told there were water creatures within the Great Lakes. I was always warned to be careful when swimming because I had to respect the water world and those beings that lived within it. The image I have chosen…

River Moon

As water is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas, our mural personifies water as three women-identifying figures. The first figure is ice who has snowflakes on her robe and a more angular figure. The second figure is steam who is floating, has clouds as hair, and a…

Ohútsya Kékha

We are the earth, the earth is us. Our ancestors are here – The mud Those rocks Standing stones The upright trees The stillness of the sky And the smokey sun Thunderers revive and bring healing So flowing rivers splash across our bodies and rush through us. We are the water, the water is us….

Where We Find Our Roots

Our design celebrates the incredible beauty of the Don River and its surrounding waterways. It pays tribute to the traditional keepers of the land, its current residents, and its potential futures. “Tkaronto” is a Mohawk word that translates to “where trees stand in water”. The focal point of our piece is a tree emerging from…

Dancheong Dragon

Social and environmental struggles have been top of mind these recent years. Since 2019, Toronto has seen a 700% rise in anti-Asian violence (based on reported incidents alone), while the Don River is plagued with flooding, erosion risk, pollution and ecological decline. Awareness, and naturalization and protection projects will address some of these issues, but…

Riverside Sports Heritage & Legacy

The Riverside Sports Heritage & Legacy Mural was created by artist Monica Wickeler. The lower portion of the mural illustrates Riverside’s rich history in bicycling and curling associated with the Royal Canadian Bicycle and Curling Club, and also baseball, as Riverside was home to Toronto’s first baseball stadium, the Toronto Baseball Grounds (aka Sunlight Park)….

KUSIKUS

The wavy pattern in my mural is based on a textile pattern that dates back to pre-colonial Philippines around the 1400s. It is referred to as ‘kusikus’ (pronounced koo-SEE-koos), which means ‘whirlpool’, ‘whirlwind’ or ‘going in circles’ in Ilocano (an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines and by my family). The pattern was used for…

Tkaranto Past, Tkaranto Future

This mural by Indigenous artists Odinamaad, Chief Lady Bird, Dave Monday Oguorie, and Philip Cote, tells the story about Tkaranto being a meeting place for all people: first, for Indigenous nations for travel, trade, hunting and fishing, and in present day, for people who come here from around the globe to gather on the traditional…

Welcome to Riverside

This mural art was originally installed on the wall of 742 Queen E in 2013, and moved to 651 Queen E in 2017. It was the Riverside BIA’s first mural as part of its efforts to re-introduce its modern identity and brand; after many years of branding as ‘Queen-Broadview Village’, the BIA re-branded to come…

Along the Riverbanks

As our urban environment grows and becomes more and more dense, we are surrounded by fewer wild spaces and it is important to protect and appreciate the ones that remain, as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit them. Continuous tracts of urban woodland such as the Don River valley allow a diverse ecosystem…

A blue background with an eagle soaring across the wall. The left side of the image has an apple tree, with apple blossoms on its branches.

First Peoples Mural

In artist Lorne Julien’s own words, the mural’s imagery includes “the eagle (kitpu) [which] is an important animal to the Mi’kmaw people (L’nu’k). It symbolizes respect, love and protection. When an eagle shows up in your path, it is seen as a good and hopeful sign, a good moment to show gratitude and send prayers….

Poppies with shaes of blue stones background.

Graffiti Be Gone

My vision was that the floral theme would bring light and colour to the area, especially during cold and long Calgary winters. In addition to beautifying the city, the painting project encourages Calgarians to embrace fine art into their busy, everyday lives.

Horse and cow ranch on left side with oil rigs in background. Mountains in distance. Portrait of workers on right side.

Legacy

This historical mural is one of the largest paintings in Canada and figures prominently in downtown Calgary. The desire was to beautify the side of the building as well as foster pride in the legacy and activities of Calgary Petroleum, telling the story of oil and gas from its beginnings to the present day.