The Parclo Project
For many of the people who passed through the Parclo on a daily basis, the large concrete wall near Braemar Drive has long been nothing more than an eyesore and magnet for (sometimes offensive) graffiti. The graffiti removal process has often been expensive and has made the wall even more of a blight on our community. Experience with murals in other areas of HRM, and murals I arranged on power control cabinets in District 6 last year, have shown murals to be less likely targets of graffiti and other vandalism.
So in an effort to both dissuade graffiti and create a huge canvas to celebrate the rich history of the Dartmouth lakes the idea of a mural was born. Many options were considered, but in the end after consultation with the province (who owns the Parclo) funding was arranged through district funds to commission a mural by nationally recognized muralist Peter Matyas. Working with local residents and historical associations, we chose images depicting the various periods of history on the lakes, from the importance of the lakes to the Mi’kmaq, to the days of canal operation, to times when sailing was a common pastime, to the new pedestrian bridge across Lake Banook, we have tried to capture the important milestones in the history of Dartmouth’s Lakes. The mural will be the longest outdoor mural in Canada.
Murals and Paintings by Peter Matyas 