A large mural installed at the intersection of Nelson and Bayfield Streets in October of last year could soon be moved after Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney brought forward a motion at council’s September 22 meeting calling for the mural to be relocated.
Keaveney’s motion noted that the current placement of the mural obstructs views of the bay as well as a tree that is directly behind the mural. The motion also indicates that there is municipal infrastructure “located underground at the site is no longer accessible due to the placement of the mural.”
The motion also raised a safety concern noting that “visitors frequently stop to photograph the mural, often standing in the roadway and creating a safety hazard.”
While there have been complaints about the mural’s location since it was installed nearly a year ago, over the summer the mural became a topic of discussion on social media, with hundreds of comments calling for the mural to be moved.
“I have overwhelmingly heard from the public that they feel that this mural is in the wrong location,” Keaveney told council after introducing her motion. “It’s a lovely mural, but it just needs a new home.”
The motion, which directs municipal staff to prepare a report to be brought before council by the end of 2025, outlining potential relocation sites for the mural along with the associated costs, was unanimously supported by the rest of council with a 6-0 vote.
The mural was brought to Meaford through the Canada Connects Family National Mural Mosaic, a part of Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots Project.
The Canada Connects Family Mosaic is touted as a “testament to the power of collaboration”, featuring hundreds of tiles painted by artists of all skill levels from across Canada and around the world. Roughly fifty of the tiles for the mural were painted by Meaford residents.
