The Town of Greater Napanee has partnered with the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion to bring some colour to the building.
The new public art has a local, historic flair.
Branch 137 in Napanee sits atop a small hill, overlooking the Napanee river.
Now, anyone who walks along the river will get to see a piece of local history, painted on the side and back of the legion building.
“It’s just brought the community together, like, everybody’s buzzing about it and how wonderful it is to have in our community,” said Peggy Sunstrum, Second Vice President for Branch 137.
The mural features six faces of Napanee Legion members who served, as well as H.M.C.S., Napanee, a Canadian Navy ship originally built in Kingston.
Kingston-based artist Shane Goudreau, who is no stranger to projects like this, said he was happy to honour those who have served using his artistic ability.
“To try and bring out all that those who served and are serving maybe want to see in something like this,” said Goudreau.
He began work on the mural on June 1, and despite some inclement weather delaying the process, he has almost finished the mural in just over three weeks.
While it’s still unfinished, the new public art has already been drawing some eyes toward it.
“When our community comes around, they recognize people up on the wall, they say ‘that looks like – oh I think it is him!” said Sunstrum.
All the more fascinating, Goudreau said he tried to use the massive size of his canvas, the back two walls of the legion building, to add some extra creativity to the piece.
“When it’s backlit and both sides of the wall aren’t lit too much one way or the other, it actually comes together and you can’t really separate the two walls from each other, so it all looks like one continuous piece,” he said.
Sunstrom said at there are plans for a grand reveal party at the legion, just as soon as the work is done.
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