Look closely at St. Thomas and the signals are clear … the community is in the process of a great reinvention. Known as ‘The Railway City’, the nickname holds, if only as a historical point of reference and an indication of how assets from that early industry are being repurposed now. Listen to how people talk about the city … there are lots of positive things happening, including robust home-building, the evolution of advanced manufacturing, and an emerging group of young entrepreneurs adding new businesses and perspectives to the local culture. The downtown core is where the next identity of the community will be gradually revealed. There is a lot of work to do … there are empty storefronts, neglected buildings, and visible signs of social challenges, including homelessness, drug use, and the need for mental health care resources. Still, the improvements are apparent, too, and the possibilities are endless. Our team at young & free has been part of this change, mostly driven by the desire to know what the city can be.

How do we get to know something? We ask questions, and follow the path that the answers provide. This means that we have to go where we have never been, and encourage others to come along. In the context of city-building, there are ways to prompt this shift – infrastructure improvements, new amenities, and citizen engagement come to mind. We think that artwork might be one of the most powerful tools. How do we make the city feel new, surprising, deep, distinctive, or even mysterious, like there is some inner code to decipher? What if a small city like St. Thomas could become one of those places that engages and communicates something unique, drawing residents and visitors to feel like there are meaningful discoveries to be made around every corner? We want a city full of strange adventures that enrich our sense of place.

Right now, we are in the midst of the ‘Track to the Future’ mural project, a city-wide effort to add small and large-scale works of art that prompt viewers to think of the past, present and future of the community. We arranged funding from the Estate of Donna Bushell to support the project, and have been working with the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation and Railway City Tourism to attract artists and establish connections with property owners. This has been a beautiful process, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic … community members have collaborated to make this happen, and residents and visitors can enjoy the artwork outdoors.

For anyone open to exploring and considering the murals fully, there is a substantial journey to take in St. Thomas, and through this we will find a pathway to the future identity of the city. All the possibilities are there before us. We want to create this vision in time. For now, we thought that we could share insights into the artwork and suggest one way to criss-cross the city … this is not the end result of the project, of course, but part of the process. There are so many things happening all at the same time, and beyond our perception, that impact us. All we can is share one perspective and listen to others. Art facilitates conversation.

Denial with Emily Stage of young & free press in September 2020 as the finishing touches were being put on the ‘Strange Adventures’ mural at 930 Talbot Street in St. Thomas. — Denial with Emily Stage of *young & free press* in September 2020 as the finishing touches were being put on the ‘Strange Adventures’ mural at 930 Talbot Street in St. Thomas.

One good spot to start a tour of the murals in St. Thomas is the back of 930 Talbot Street at the corner of CASO Crossing. This is the location of the ‘Strange Adventures’ mural by Denial … the artwork is a heartfelt tribute to growing up in St. Thomas, complete with references to Joe Thornton, Rachel McAdams, Thomas the Tank Engine, the St. Thomas Police Service, and lots of pop culture ties. For local teenagers we wanted to have a mural that prompted contemplation of the benefits and drawbacks of growing up in St. Thomas and leaving, or staying, or leaving and returning … whatever life-path one chooses, everyone who comes of age in the city is connected to the place and the stories of success and failure that are intrinsic to being here. Ultimately, certain ‘strange adventures’ are only possible in the Railway City, and we want to celebrate that! The mural can be photographed endlessly, and with each look new connections emerge between the different elements. Sunsets hit the wall especially well. The colours pop.

How did this come together? In spring 2019, members of our staff at young & free visited Windsor and were struck by the murals that Denial has painted in that city, especially one called ‘Strange Detour’, which is a nod to life along the Detroit River. We met the artist randomly, and from that point on started to imagine how he might be able to capture the spirit of St. Thomas in a design. The ‘Strange Adventures’ piece is definitely a relative of ‘Strange Detour’, and we love the connection … both St. Thomas and Windsor lived on auto manufacturing for decades, and now are transforming in unexpected ways. Travelling facilitates connections.

Emily Stage and Maddie King of young & free press examine the ‘Strange Detour’ mural by Denial in Windsor. — Emily Stage and Maddie King of *young & free press* examine the ‘Strange Detour’ mural by Denial in Windsor.

From the ‘Strange Adventures’ mural, urban explorers in St. Thomas can walk west along the nearby path by the Elgin County Railway Museum, the massive industrial warehouse that served once-upon-a-time as the Michigan Central Railroad Locomotive Shops. There are a series of boxcars located outside featuring murals by artists Laura Woermke, Mediah, Jaclyn White, and Grayden Laing. These pieces were coordinated by Railway City Tourism in 2019, and we loved the idea immediately – what could be a better symbol of reimagining the local railway culture? Local artist Chris Golding had painted a boxcar previously, and that one now stands alongside the others. We met Mediah after he finished ‘Tril/Rapidé’, one of the boxcar murals. Little did we know that this would be the start of a massive collaboration, one that has shifted the downtown landscape dramatically! Chronology is not particularly important here – we are going to highlight the artwork by Mediah based on how visitors to the city might experience the work.

‘Tril/Rapidé’ by Mediah on a boxcar at the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas

From the boxcar murals, visitors can head west along the walking trail to the impressive CASO Station at 750 Talbot Street. At the west end of the building, walk the short driveway toward Talbot Street, and there is a mural by Mediah that will stand out, for sure … ‘Protocol 1K’ covers the entire front of the Ignite Youth Centre, providing a dramatic departure from the muted colours of the traditional Victorian-era architecture downtown. Purple, green, silver, black, white, pink – the colours explode off the wall, and the design signals how young people are called now to navigate the complex, chaotic landscape of modern digital culture.

‘Protocol 1K’ by Mediah at the Ignite Youth Centre in downtown St. Thomas.

Late in 2019, Mediah taught a street art workshop for local youth at the STEAM Centre, which is located inside the Ignite Youth Centre. One of the participants, Liam Kelly, got the opportunity to paint a mural on the back of the building. He was 15 years old when he worked on the piece during the summer of 2020. Guided by Mediah, the design features a similar colour palette to the mural on the front of the building. Titled ‘Portrait of Youth’, Liam has noted that the image is a reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.

‘Portrait of Youth’ by artist Liam Kelly, who was 15 years old at the time of painting this piece … the opportunity to paint the mural came up following a Street Art Workshop led by Mediah at the STEAM Centre in St. Thomas.

Wander further west along Talbot Street and there are two more murals by Mediah. First, on the east wall of CTP Computers at 707 Talbot Street, there is ‘Substrait’ … the artist painted this in brutal heat last summer, but maintained focus to deliver a work that acts as a meditation on the progress of the railway (and industry generally in the community) and the potential for innovation in the future. Check out the image & find everything from locomotives to microchips.

Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of young & free press with artist Mediah during the painting of the ‘Substrait’ mural at CTP Computers, 707 Talbot Street in St. Thomas. — Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of *young & free press* with artist Mediah during the painting of the ‘Substrait’ mural at CTP Computers, 707 Talbot Street in St. Thomas.

The truly monumental piece by Mediah is to be found in the alleyway stretching from Talbot Street to the Moore Street parking lot. This is a stunner – titled ‘Willowsheen’, the mural covers both sides of the alley, more than 4400 square feet! On the east wall, the orange and red colours feel hot, like sunrise into midday; on the west wall, the green and blue shades feel cool, comparable to late afternoon and sunset. The mechanical and digital forms that tower over the trees on both sides of the alley indicate human intervention into the natural environment, almost akin to alien spaceships. The hot wall connects with the early stages of industrial development when nature was exploited without much thought given to the long-term consequences. The cool wall indicates a shift in thinking, an opportunity to find a sustainable way for human beings to engage with nature. Will we continue to be like aliens on earth, destroying our surroundings, or will we find a new balance? In a way, the mural feels hopeful. We have done the hot work of development and re-shaping nature to our purposes through technology, and now we need to do the cool work of making this less destructive. Sunrise, sunset – if we do not find ways to live in balance with each other and the environment, are we risking ecological catastrophe? The mural prompts many compelling questions.

‘Willowsheen’ by Mediah … this 4400 square foot mural is located in St. Thomas at 632 Talbot Street.

Mediah has changed the way that downtown St. Thomas looks and feels. This is prompting a psychological shift in the community – instead of thinking of what has been and acting primarily to conserve the past, now there is the sense that we have to build the future that we want.

The next stop on the grand mural tour downtown requires a quick walk south, and hey, there is ice cream for anyone who wants a treat at this point! That’s right … artist Meaghan Claire Kehoe added a warm and whimsical design on the north wall at 125 Ross Street, home to The Ice Box ice cream shop. Titled ‘Field of Dreams’, the image features a multicultural cast of characters set in what feels like a meadow made of dandelions and grasses. There is a hint of ice cream, too, a few colourful scoops that convey the sense of time spent with family and friends. Most of all the design feels like a call to youth to dream, imagine and make things better. Great photo-spot!

Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of young & free press with the ‘Field of Dreams’ mural by Meaghan Claire Kehoe at The Ice Box ice cream shop, 125 Ross Street in St. Thomas. — Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of *young & free press* with the ‘Field of Dreams’ mural by Meaghan Claire Kehoe at The Ice Box ice cream shop, 125 Ross Street in St. Thomas.

Walk back toward Talbot Street and eventually the next work of art will come into focus … this is the remarkable ‘Heroes’ mural by Andrew Lewis. We had the good fortune to watch this beautiful piece come together over several weeks in summer 2020 … set behind the Veterans Memorial Garden on Moore Street, the design features a field of poppies to pay tribute to the veterans and first responders who have acted selflessly to assist others. Beyond this, the image represents a community that rises up to meet all challenges – we feel like the mural is a celebration of life itself, connecting the particularities of our local stories to something universal and essential.

Maddie King & Julie Couwenberghs of young & free press on the first night of artist Andrew Lewis painting the ‘Heroes’ mural along with assistants Jessica Thornton & Asha Hall in downtown St. Thomas. — Maddie King & Julie Couwenberghs of *young & free press* on the first night of artist Andrew Lewis painting the ‘Heroes’ mural along with assistants Jessica Thornton & Asha Hall in downtown St. Thomas.

Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of young & free press in front of the ‘Heroes’ mural by artist Andrew Lewis. — Emily Stage & Andrew Gunn of *young & free press* in front of the ‘Heroes’ mural by artist Andrew Lewis.

Head north along the Whistlestop Trail, crossing Talbot Street, and suddenly a burst of colour will catch the eye … head toward the St. Thomas Public Library at 153 Curtis Street to see the ‘Brain in Bloom’ mural by Meaghan Claire Kehoe up-close. For many visitors, this one stands out as a favourite … the artist contemplated what the library offers in the twenty-first century, specifically connection, inspiration and community. We would add a sense of inclusivity, too. The image features two young women interacting over tea – digital tea, perhaps, a perfect note to reflect on how virtual meetings have become increasingly part of our lives.

‘Brain in Bloom’ by Meaghan Claire Kehoe at the St. Thomas Public Library.

This mural at the Library was designed with the understanding that the image would be setting the tone for a new public park-space to be built in the adjoining lot. In 2022-23, the new ‘Westlake-Evans Civic Park’ will take shape with the mural serving as a stunning backdrop. Here is the concept design for the park. We are so excited to see this new urban space evolve in downtown St. Thomas!

Concept design for the new ‘Westlake-Evans Civic Park’ to be established in St. Thomas in 2021-2022.

Walk back to Talbot Street and continue west, and after a few blocks there is a mural by artist Kelsey Montague that is a perfect example of her well-known style. ‘Wings St. Thomas’ is an interactive piece that allows visitors to step in for a selfie … look closely at the design to find some hints of local culture, including an elephant to emphasize the tie to the tragic story of Jumbo. Ultimately, though, this is an uplifting piece … one of our teenage journalists, Emily Stage, wrote the following after experiencing the mural for the first time: “I just love how big the wings are – standing beneath them makes me feel small but at the same time maybe powerful, momentarily acting as though such a large, beautiful set of wings could belong to me. The mural looks modern, too, while incorporating some historical notes. This is a good lesson – in many small cities and towns, there seems to be a desire to retreat always to historical themes, but we can evolve, too.”

Emily Stage of young & free press at ‘Wings St. Thomas’ by artist Kelsey Montague. — Emily Stage of *young & free press* at ‘Wings St. Thomas’ by artist Kelsey Montague.

We love having a piece by Kelsey Montague in the city – there are only two in Canada, this one in St. Thomas and another in Toronto. Her work has gone global over the past five years, propelled by a wings mural that she painted in New York that Taylor Swift posed in and shared on Instagram. Now, she has installed works all over the world, a phenomenal global success story.

One final stop … walk west and find the St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre at 301 Talbot Street. This is the location of the mural ‘Make Your Mark, Make It Matter’ by artist Laura Woermke, an addition to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Art Centre. Visual arts have deep roots in our community. Murals make this visible.