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
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.