Innisfail's 'Welcome' mural promotes joy, inclusivity in central Alberta town
Innisfail's 'Welcome' mural promotes joy, inclusivity in central Alberta town
Stenciled onto the side of one of Innisfail's most historic sites is the word "Welcome" in 60 different languages. It's part of a new mural that brings colour and joy to the town located about 120 kilometres north of Calgary.
"It is heartwarming and, to me, very exciting to see," said Pat Bidart, a member of the town's Welcoming and Inclusive Community Committee (WICC).
"I will share it with all my friends around the world to show this is what our community is about."
Calgary artist Karen Scarlett, who grew up in Innisfail, helped come up with the concept to collect the handwriting of community members writing "welcome" in a language that represents their own heritage. It took a month to complete the project.
"When we were doing the stencil-making and talking about languages and cultures, it was really incredible to hear so many people's stories about how their family came to Innisfail and how they celebrate," said Scarlett.
The mural also features bright dairy cans representing the history of the building.
The wall of what is now The Coffee Cottage and Old Creamery Antiques served as the canvas for the art. The site is Innisfail's original creamery, which has served as a community gathering place for nearly a century.
Bidart says the mural is part of the town's effort to promote multiculturalism and to show racism has no place in Innisfail. She pointed to a June 2020 Black Lives Matter rally in town that was nearly cancelled after organizers faced a barrage of racist comments and threats as being a catalyst for the creation of the WICC.
"Innisfail got a lot of bad press. Everybody had this feeling that it was a racist community because of some of the people that did things. So a group of us got together to say 'We're not like that, Innisfail is not like that'," explained Bidart.
The mural was funded in part by the province of Alberta. The town's public art push includes another mural, completed earlier this summer, and a third planned for later this year.
The federal government will be providing $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, CTV News has learned.
Paul Bernardo should be returned to a maximum-security prison, the lawyer representing the families of his young murder victims said as he called on the Correctional Service of Canada to be more transparent about what led to his transfer to a medium-security facility in the first place.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to provide an update on the wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes and caused widespread property damage in several provinces.
Newly released documents say the intelligence community's relationship with its key watchdog has been particularly strained over the last year due to a 'level of resistance' to scrutiny.
Special teams played a difference on Sunday night as the United States scored two short-handed goals en route to a 6-1 victory over Canada in the World Para Hockey Championship gold-medal game.
The federal government will be providing $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, CTV News has learned.
People who use drugs and advocates are vocalizing their support of a downtown overdose prevention site in response to some residents — and a prominent developer — who no longer want it in their backyard.
A wildfire that tore through homes and businesses in the Halifax area is 100 per cent contained, but a historic fire in southwestern Nova Scotia remains out of control.
The Nova Scotia government says it is investigating the theft of personal information stolen through a global privacy breach to a third-party file transfer system the province was using.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says his trade mission to Asia is part of an effort to grow trade and reduce the risks that come with international uncertainties.
Jessica Tuomela is a swimmer and triathlete, and has been on the podium at the Paralympics, but says the feeling returning a missing person home safely is no comparison.
Paul Bernardo should be returned to a maximum-security prison, the lawyer representing the families of his young murder victims said as he called on the Correctional Service of Canada to be more transparent about what led to his transfer to a medium-security facility in the first place.
Air quality remains a concern in regions throughout Quebec, including the Greater Montreal area which is currently under a smog warning. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued smog warnings for the Greater Montreal Area, and special air quality statements are in effect for large portions of the province due to the growing number of forest fires.
The Montreal Canadiens announced Monday that the Habs agreed on terms to an 8-year contract extension with forward Cole Caufield that will pay him an average annual salary of $7.85 million.
A city of Ottawa committee will hear the public's garbage opinions today, as councillors consider implementing a 'bag tag' program for garbage collection.
After a long hockey season, most kids are done with the cold rinks by spring. But for the chance to rub shoulders with a locally grown hockey superstar, you dust off the gear and skate in June.
At the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in February, reeves passed a resolution asking the Water Security Agency to require those who are illegally draining to remediate their unapproved works.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
A wayward and unresponsive business plane that flew over the nation's capital Sunday afternoon caused the military to scramble a fighter jet before the plane crashed in Virginia, officials said. The fighter jet caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region.
At the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in February, reeves passed a resolution asking the Water Security Agency to require those who are illegally draining to remediate their unapproved works.
