Every city I visit has its own unique street art, preserved over decades or newly added to celebrate the contemporary achievements of its rich heritage. My hometown is no different.
Every time I drive through St. Thomas I can’t help but notice the abundance of art; murals splashed across the sides and fronts of buildings giving them new life and new purpose, sculptures framed against the urban backdrop, and all celebrating the amazing talent of our local artists. Collected on a recent visit, but by no means a complete list, I want to share some of my favourites with you.
Sculptures are finding a home in the newly installed roundabouts. An amazing work, and so on point for our tourism brand, is the train in the Gateway Roundabout. Entrance to the city is marked by Scott McKay’s Perseverance. There is a viewing area at the beginning of Sunset Drive to park and get a closer look. (Photo is above).
Our murals reflect either a historical perspective of the city or are a contemporary expression of our culture. All of the ones listed here can be viewed while traveling east from the west entrance to the city. Keep your eyes open to see how many more you can find.
Ann’s Snack Bar, 230 Talbot Street, is a recent reproduction of a famous 1964 painting by Clark McDougall. This vibrant, colourful and nostalgic view of Talbot Street is a great introduction to our more recent history.
On the wall of the post office at 403 Talbot Street is Wings by Kelsey Montague. A great spot for a selfie and full of our city’s icons if you take a closer look.
One of my historical favourites is located at 7 White Street, a large mural celebrating the importance of the railway and our involvement in both world wars, entitled Elgin’s Finest painted by Rick Johnston in 1996. A special honour to those men of the 91st Battalion from Elgin County who served during WW1, one of which was my grandfather.
Across the street at 8 Mondamin is another historical mural entitled St. Thomas Street Railway. This depiction of circa 1906 Talbot Street includes many identifiable or memorable stores. It was painted by Nickolas Wilkinson.
On the side of 633 Talbot Street is Magic of Nature, a smaller mural by Melissa Kempf and Bibi Nielson honouring botanical medicine across the centuries.
Turn off Talbot Street onto Ross Street and travel a couple of blocks down to view Field of Dreams (2020) by Meghan Kehoe, a fantastical work that always makes me smile, and yearn for ice cream.
Back on Talbot Street, across from the Horton Market is From Here to There, a celebration of food from across the world, painted in 2020 by the Clear Eyes Collective.
I haven’t even discussed the number of murals of Jumbo found throughout town. That is a whole different visit. For a complete list of all murals in St. Thomas please visit https://www.railwaycitytourism.com/murals.html.
Which one is your favourite?