A new mural now graces the side of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 293 building at Port Alberni's Victoria Quay. The mural, which depicts a soldier standing amidst a sea of poppies, pays tribute to Canada's veterans, and those who didn't come home.
Branch president Roy Buchanan says the legion had been thinking about adding a mural to their side of their building for a while. The goal of the artwork is twofold: brightening up the neighbourhood, but also drawing attention to the legion.
"This is a semi-industrial area, and we wanted to brighten the place up," said Buchanan. "And we also wanted to make the legion more visible. We wanted to make this a place people want to come to."
While researching artists, legion members discovered Kelly Everill, a self-taught artist from the Comox Valley. She has done murals for a number of non-profit organizations on Vancouver Island, including three other Royal Canadian Legion branches: in Courtenay, Cumberland and Victoria.
Everill worked on the mural over the week of July 22-26. Buchanan says she came up with the design herself.
"It was quite the proposal," said Buchanan. "She has some amazing ideas."
As for visibility, Buchanan says that the mural has already been doing its job.
"People have been walking by and they stop to admire the mural or to ask questions," said Buchanan. "We love it."
