COCHRANE - Vibrant murals celebrating Cochrane’s history, cultural diversity and connection to nature are brightening up spaces throughout the community.
Artist Katherine Roy is transforming Cochrane's landscape with her latest projects including contributions to the Ininew Friendship Centre, a drug store and the Cochrane Public Library.
At the Ininew Friendship Centre, executive director Tyler Beaton expressed the need for a more welcoming environment.
“I felt that our space wasn't welcoming to the community,” he said.
Partnering with Roy, Beaton involved a diverse committee, including local elders, to design a mural that reflects Cree art styles and the specific values of the Taykwa Tagamou Nation territory.
The artwork features local harvestable animals, such as moose and beavers, centred around a symbolic tree of life that interweaves the six stages of life in Indigenous culture.
“This mural represents all walks of life, from infancy to elderhood,” Beaton said.
Wallace Drug Store owner Frank Louvelle collaborated with Roy to create a series of window murals that honour the town's history.
“We worked together to find historical pictures important to the town’s past,” he said.
“I think it was a collaborative effort. Katherine really brought everything together beautifully.”
The mural was done in late August. It celebrates significant aspects of Cochrane’s heritage, including the polar bear habitat, a nostalgic depiction of a swimming dock that once thrived in the community and the former owners of the drug store, Louvelle said.
“This is about making sure the town doesn't forget its roots,” he said.
“History is important, and we should celebrate our past while looking forward to the future.”
Wallace Drug Store opened in the 1930s and has moved locations twice since. Louvelle has been the owner since 2006, but started working there for the previous owner in 2002.
“This is all about positivity and the town's history, and I think we need more of that in Cochrane, Timmins, and all of these smaller communities,” he said.
The Cochrane library is set to feature a mural designed by Roy that embodies themes of diversity, unity and connection to the natural world.
Acting Assistant to the CEO Heather Brouwer described the piece as a “beautiful menagerie of life,” integrating human figures, trees, flowers and books into a 10 by 16-foot design.
Roy is set to begin painting on Saturday (Oct. 5). TimminsToday has reached out to Roy to talk about the murals.
The library is fundraising to cover the cost of the mural. Donations are being accepted in person or via e-transfer at [email protected].
