New Timmins mural promotes environmental message

A splash of colour has washed over a former theatre building on Main Street in South Porcupine, east of Timmins.

Once its own town, South Porcupine continues to have its own vibe.

“When I go to new places or see new people, most of them have a nice warm smile and talk to me with open arms. I very (much) like that here," said Emma Seim, an 11-year-old who is starring in an episode of 'Couleurs du Nord'.

And, it's that vibe that a television crew from Toronto is interested in learning more about. It's producing the series, 'Couleurs du Nord' for T-F-O.

“It’s really showing, you know, Francophone and Franco Ontarians are so diverse and spread out all over Ontario, not just Quebec," said Rennata Lopez, producer of Couleurs du Nord from Lopii Productions.

"There are French speaking people with culture and heritage sort of spread out all over. It’s really about celebrating all the beauty and culture that is northern Ontario.”

The crew spent the weekend, filming several children who come from a Francophone background. The producers want to learn more about them and the local issues that matter most to them, including the health of Porcupine Lake.

“We need to heal the water with all the bad things that the mine and ... we all did. And we need to own up to that and try to heal it," said Seim.

The artist, Mique Michelle, who teaches the children it's possible to learn how to paint a mural said the mural will serve as a reminder to the community to take children like Seim seriously.

“As adults, we’re the ones who made the mistakes and they’re stuck cleaning it up so why can’t we just put the mic, the camera, the spray paint can in their hands and listen to the solutions that they have to offer us that they see," said Michelle.

The episode shot in South Porcupine will be included in season two of the series; season one will have an episode about Timmins and it will be aired sometime this fall.