New mural in Downtown Timmins helps build community
The Community Safety and Well-Being Team in Timmins invited anyone with an interest in painting to come together Friday and transform a downtown laneway with a mural.
One of the goals was to unite people and beautify an area that required some tender loving care.
"There's a lot of people that do come by this alleyway and we don't want it littered with junk and garbage," said Meagan Baranyk, community strategies coordinator for the City of Timmins.
The mural’s theme is ‘nature’ and it’s one that resonated with artists.
"Anyone could do anything that they put their mind to if they believe in it. Even if you say you can draw a stickman, you'll eventually get somewhere with it. So just don't give up," said Beau Grondin, a local artist.
"I live just a little outside of the city limits, so I've been in the forest … lately and right now it's mushroom season so, yeah, I figured that would be my focus for this," said Danielle Turgeon, also a local artist.
Another goal of the three-hour event was to get people to collaborate. Organizers said the project is about bringing people together from various backgrounds in a safe and positive way to increase community pride.
Artists gathered in a downtown Timmins laneway Friday to paint a mural depicting scenes of nature. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)
"When you see someone who is seven years old and an immigrant to Timmins painting with someone who's unsheltered, it is that commonality is that what we're looking for," said Baranyk.
Shea Lalond said she was excited to be included.
"I’ve lived here for 32 years, and I’ve never quite made my mark in a way that I would like, and this is nice and legal and it seems like a fun community project," Lalond said.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
The Tamarack Institute -- a registered charity based in Waterloo that’s dedicated to ending poverty -- sponsored the session with paint and supplies.
Organizers said the mural is a one baby step towards reducing some of the adversity happening in the city.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.