"Honouring Islington's Volunteer Fire Brigade" Mural - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
N 43° 38.819 W 079° 31.823
17T E 618522 N 4833714
This mural is located on 4988 Dundas Street W. in Toronto, Ontario.
Waymark Code: WM7QHG
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 11/23/2009
Views: 6
Located on the east wall of Edwards Builders’ Hardware at 4988 Dundas, this mural honours Islington’s volunteer firemen who were once based in this block and who, each winter back in the 1940s, blocked Mimico Creek below Montgomery’s Inn to create a much used and loved skating rink. The finished work is a photo-realistic mural 41' wide and 23' high.
Text from the plaque:
This mural, by artist John Kuna, honours the men of the Islington Volunteer Fire Brigade whose hall was located in this block. Fighting fires, often at great personal risk, was their main purpose; but in the 1940s these men also served their community in a more light hearted fashion. During the winter months they would dam Mimico Creek below T. Montgomery's Inn to create a much used and loved skating rink. Note how the winter mural's design ingeniously incorporates a boarded window in the back of the building, using it as the serving window for the little hut from which volunteers played 'dance' music and dispensed hot chocolate and other refreshments.
This is the fifth mural in the Islington Mosaic, a partnership of the Village of Islington BIA and the Heritage Etobocoke Foundation. It was financed by Islington business and property owners and funds donated by local developers.
Corporate sponsers include:
. Benjamin Moore & Company
. Village Paint
. Russ Dilworth
. Edwards Builders Hardware - lighting
Mural Artist: John Kuna
John Kuna has dedicated himself to the art of professional mural painting almost immediately upon graduating from The Ontario College of Art and Design in 1997.
Today, his public and commercial works are featured in over 40 cities across Canada and the United States, including hallmark Canadian locations such as The Montreal Forum and The Skydome in Toronto. Recently, his art work also appeared on the popular "Greatest Canadian" program aired on CBC.
Apart from his achievements in this field, John also continues to develop his personal body of work, specializing in fine painting and portraiture. He has earned commissions from clients in The United Kingdom, Egypt, and The Czech Republic as well as throughout North America.
John was born in the Czech Republic, arriving to Canada when only ten years of age. Now based in Toronto, he continues to refine his style and technique drawing upon his travels and this city's vibrant cultural heritage for inspiration. Since murals are so accessible and can achieve so much to transform a public space, it is his sincere hope that his art continues to be of the best possible service to the viewing public and community.
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