The mural welcoming people to downtown Thorold is undergoing some much-needed maintenance. The heritage painting has been in disrepair for quite some time, but now the City is restoring it to its former glory.
The mural was painted by local artist Catharine Mellor and has been a Front Street staple since 2014.
The pending restoration was discussed during a Tourism Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 10.
“This mural is just absolutely gorgeous,” said committee member Joe Prytula. “When you step back and look at it, you see today and you see 1866. It’s a valuable asset to our downtown.”
Prytula also raised some objections to the new ‘Love Thorold’ sign which has gone up right next to the mural, in front of the newly opened Smilee Dental Centre.
“It’s a donation from the dentist office,” explained committee member Terri-Lynn Woodhouse. “That was a gift from them to Thorold, to the downtown.”
But Prytula does not like where the sign is positioned.
“The location of it severely interferes with the visibility of the mural,” he said. “A person could not take a picture without the ‘Love Thorold’ sign being in place.”
Councillor Nella Dekker told committee members that the new sign was a big surprise at the grand opening of the dental office.
“Nobody knew about it,” she said. “That was their gift back to the community so I’m not sure how that transpired. It’s beautiful and it lights up in the evening.”
Prytula wondered if the City even approved the sign.
“I know they applied for permits and they had all the proper paper work,” Councillor Dekker answered. “When they unveiled it we didn’t know that was underneath the tarp but I know they got the proper permits.”
While other committee members expressed their fondness for the sign, they also voiced their trepidation about its location.
“I love the sign, no doubt about it,” said the committee's Chair Tim Geddes. “[But] we don’t want to take that mural’s luster away. We want that to be a permanent part of our downtown too.”
With the proper paperwork in place it seems unlikely that the sign will be moved, but at least the mural is getting restored.