Students at École des Beaux-Lacs will now have a daily reminder of what they can accomplish as soon as they walk through the door.
Members of ACFA de Bonnyville-Cold Lake, school staff, and local dignitaries welcomed students for the unveiling of the school’s Canada 150 mural, on Friday, March 2.
“This project was realized through the collaborative efforts of each member of our school community. This highly anticipated mural embodies not only our talents, but the spirit of our Francophone school family,” expressed Beaux-Lacs principal Margo Moyen.
Walking through the front doors, it’s hard to miss the display, with over 300 individual pieces submitted by members of the school hanging above the stage in the front auditorium.
On one side, the word Bienvenue was placed over an open book resting on a tree branch, surrounded by flowers and butterflies on a pink backdrop. Colours darken and the scene changes as the mural moves from left to right.
Seasons shift as light blue gives way to blazing orange near the centre. Towards the right, the maple leaf can be seen amongst forestry and a few woodland creatures.
“There’s around 320 pieces altogether. That’s 250 students plus staff, and the artists. We had a master plan, and they all got a square. Each square had certain colours and lines to follow, but aside from that, they could do whatever they wanted with them,” explained mural artist Christine Hajdasz.
Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Scott Cyr was a fan of their handiwork, commending students for their collaboration.
“I have to say to everybody, awesome job. It takes the combined effort of an entire school to do such a remarkable thing to celebrate Canada 150.”
Prior to the reveal, students had no idea how their piece would work into the grander scheme. They were told to incorporate whatever they wanted, following the colour and line guidelines set out.
It took months to complete their task, but Hajdasz and partners Leonie Poole and Mona Roy made sure every student played a part in the finished product. Once they collected all of the individual squares, the group had to put their heads together to figure out how everything should fit.
“It started with planning, and then we were in the school for three weeks. We made sure every single student in the school got it done. Then, laying it out took a few days in itself. Installation took two full days. Altogether it took quite a few months,” Hajdasz said.
Already, the artists have seen their hard work pay off when students stop for extended periods of time to take it all in.
“The students take a lot of pride in this. I’ve seen them stop and search for their painting in the mural. When they find it, it’s amazing to see the joy in their faces,” said Poole.
For the organization responsible for obtaining the grant funding, the finished product exceeded expectations. Student reaction alone was enough to assure ACFA community officer Mireille Lavoie-Beaupré the project was successful in its goal.
“To see them taking their parents by the hand and showing them ‘this is mine, that’s what I did,’ was incredible. They were so proud. That’s what we were trying to accomplish, the inclusion of every student. We want them to feel like they belong and they’re a part of something,” she expressed.
