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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.