‘Scarborough Royalty’ mural designed to celebrate community, honour diverse city

“Scarborough Royalty”– it’s the latest Instagram-able mural by renowned graffiti artist, Durothethird.

Commissioned by The Scarborough Town Centre, the artist said it was about celebrating the community where he was born and raised.

Scarborough is known for it’s multiculturalism and Parada said he grew up thinking it was “normal to appreciate and to love every single other culture” so the mural is reflective of that.

At 14 years old, Durothethird began expressing himself through street art in Scarborough.

One of the first places he admitted to illegally spray painting was the backside of factory walls that faced commuters who road the Scarborough RT.

He said he realized the walls could be the biggest gallery in all of Canada as the stretch was lined with large factories and buildings. One of his most recognized works, named “Native Scarborough,” still remains.

“It’s 70 feet by around 20 feet…and it was to pay tribute to the First Nations people which I admire,” said Parada.

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Since the line opened in 1985, The Scarborough RT has become signature Scarborough. It’s also the first Toronto subway line to introduce door chimes.

Famous for his “letter writing,” Parada includes many of Scarborough’s features in his mural — like the Scarborough RT along with plenty of it’s main streets and neighbourhoods but at the centre of the work was “Thomson Park.”

“Thomson Park is like the nature hub of all of Scarborough…..I really want people to know that Scarborough has an enormous amount of nature and it’s not even just Thomson Park and The Bluffs,” said Parada.

The Scarborough Bluffs and The Rouge National Urban Park are two of Scarborough’s most remarkable areas, featuring impressive landscapes and unique walking trails.

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Located on Pharmacy Avenue, Wexford Collegiate is one of Toronto’s most notable schools for the arts and it was where Durothethird attended high school and learned he could make a career for himself as an artist.

Another Scarborough institution, established in 1967 was “Johnny’s Hamburgers.” Even though Johnny’s was well known, Scarborough became a hot spot for cuisine from all over the world – reflective of the area’s many different ethnic cultures.

Even though the “Scarborough Royalty” mural has been on display at the Scarborough Town Centre for more than a month now, it will be officially unveiled during an event called “Show The Love” on February 8 from 2 to 5 p.m.

“Show The Love” is an event combining art, community, and retail.