Moose Jaw artist Grant McLaughlin is about to replace the 1991 mural on the east wall at the corner of Fairford Street West and First Avenue Northwest with his own work of art. Due to the weathering on the building exterior's brick surface, the original mural - Towns Afire - has deteriorated over the past few years. Murals of Moose Jaw decided this year was the time for a replacement painting with a similar theme. Local artist Gus Froese created the original painting, which workers have already mostly sandblasted away and painted over with a neutral colour. McLaughlin said there are several large squares that weren't repainted though (and where portions of the old mural are still visible), because that is where various portions of the new mural will be mounted. The new mural won't be on the brick. "It's going to be a series of panels, rather than one large painting," he told the Times-Herald. He will paint the new mural on aluminum-coated sign panels. Because brick is not a good surface for long-lasting murals, McLaughlin said painting on panels should increase the new mural's longevity. He added if the mural's host building is ever demolished, painted panels could be saved. McLaughlin is consulting with the Moose Jaw Fire Department to determine what elements local firefighters would like incorporated into the firefighting-themed mural. He said one element from the old mural to be included in the new one (based on the fire department's request) is the Firefighters' Prayer. The new painting will take about three weeks for McLaughlin to complete and he expects to start hanging the panels by this weekend. He hopes to do most of the painting on site, therefore Moose Javians will be able to see him work. The local artist said the design for the mural will encompass elements of local firefighting from the last 100 years. Norma Westgard, Murals of Moose Jaw chairwoman, said the city currently supplies the local mural organization with approximately $10,000 funding each year, but the cost for paying someone to paint a new mural costs between $16,000 and $20,000. Therefore, she said her organization went without a mural replacement last year so it could afford to replace Towns Afire this year. This presents a problem, according to Westgard, because many local murals were created around the same time and are now starting to deteriorate. She added Murals of Moose Jaw repaired some local murals this year, which costs about $10,000 per project. In order to pay for costs beyond what the city will fund in a year, Westgard said Murals of Moose Jaw conducts fundraising projects and accepts donations. She added anyone wanting to donate or who had fundraising ideas can contact her at 693-3062. Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.
Work to begin on firefighting mural
Work to begin on firefighting mural
McLaughlin to design new painting
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Comments
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- joe
- - September 18, 2009 at 17:59:58
we all joke about police and fire dept s. but my cousin was a firefighter in winnipeg i seen behind the scenes what goes on and they are not always lying around they are always making sure there equipment is ready, plus in moose jaw they go out and do inspections . if you are a policeperson if you got 75-80 calls on a friday night and i see them having coffee they deserve a break
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- MJPD + MJFD = FAT & LAZY
- - September 18, 2009 at 17:02:48
What are they gonna paint a pic of , a fat firefighter eating chips laying on the couch at the firehall napping and gettin WAY overpaid..............i think we have wasted enough money , paint a something of relevance and respect
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- Uncle Monkey
- - September 18, 2009 at 16:53:57
I kind of like the thought that the mural deteriorate and we get a new mural every decade or so. That way there is always something new and fresh. How many of us stop to look at the murals any more?
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- Ray
- - September 18, 2009 at 16:11:23
Hmm, lets see here...
Grass fire - now what if the fire had spread rapidly and was threatening the train yards? I'd be rather happy the fire department was there and showed up.
100 block Home St. West - what if the firefighters got there and flames were shooting out the windows and someone was on the street screaming their baby was inside. I'd be rather happy the fire department was there and showed up.
RM of Baildon - what if this turned into a massive grass fire that threatened homes in the area? I'd be rather happy the fire department was there and showed up.
Malfunctioning alarm - what if the alarm wasn't malfunctioning and the place was fully involved when the firefighters arrived? I'd be rather happy the fire department was there and showed up.
Combine fire - someone lost a part of their livelihood. And the fire could have spread into the field and caused damage to his farm and beyond. I'd be rather happy the fire department was there and showed up.
Seems to me that would have been a rather full day for the fire department, and just as possible as the non-busy ones.
But, of course, I'm a Depends-wearing idiot who lacks the foresight to see where having a fully paid highly trained fire department can be a value; and the memory of a couple of major fires that would have destroyed the aforementioned whole blocks of city without skilled intervention by the MJFD.
I'm of the opinion - and fortunately the vast majority of people agree with me given cities across the globe having pro FDs - that they can be as chip-eating lazy as they want if they're willing and able to throw on 50 pounds of equipment, go out into -40 degree weather and do everything possible to save as much of a block of buildings as they can for more than 24 hours without rest.
Ever talked to a firefighter about the New Years Day fire? I assume not, because then you wouldn't have posted that crap. -
- Ray
- - September 18, 2009 at 16:11:01
Sigh... so I assume when your house catches fire and your kids are trapped inside, you aren't going to call 911? Gonna break out the hose and put out the fire yourself because you could do a much better job than the chip-eating fatso?
Please.
But that's the great thing about the internet, any whiny 'MUH TAXES' screwball can get on here and complain about the 'overpaid' firefighters and police.
The REAL men do it at city council and have their name and address taken down and demand denial of services and possibly a tax break. I'm sure you could get put on a list where the fire department and police wouldn't come out to your place when you needed them... and maybe save the $5.25 annually on your taxes, to!
So how about it Fat and Lazy? You a real man or just another internet poser?
But I think we both know the answer to that now already... -
- MJPD + MJFD = FAT & LAZY
- - September 18, 2009 at 15:46:15
Hey Panner lets see what MJ's real men did on Monday night....
The Moose Jaw Fire Department responded to a grass fire on the 1200 block of Iroquois Drive on Saturday at 3:32 p.m. The fire was out upon arrival.
Crews were called to the 100 block of Home Street West for what turned out to be a false alarm at 10:05 a.m. Sunday.
At 5:25 p.m. Sunday, crews were dispatched to a fire in the RM of Baildon but the call was cancelled before they arrived.
A malfunctioning alarm took firefighters to the 2800 block of Caribou Street West at 6:42 p.m. Sunday.
At 6:51 p.m. Sunday, crews were called to the RM of Pense for a combine fire
WOW.......my dog could have put more fires out with its leg lifted .
Those false alarms were probably just your neighbors phoning about the smell of you filling up your Depends Panner......idiot
