Hope in the City Mural

Location: Gerrard, just east of Parliament

Date photo taken: 23 July 2016

This mural, painted on the side of Double Take, a second-hand store operated by the Yonge Street Mission, was unveiled in 2013. The hands are meant to represent not only a range of cultures but also different socio-economic backgrounds, reflecting the demographics of both the neighbourhood and the people the Yonge Street Mission serves. The hands reach for the sky, a gesture, as the name of the mural implies, of hope, but also of inclusion and strength. The mural was executed by a local team, Toronto Muralists.

Toronto's Tallest Mural - 200 Wellesley

  

Location: South side of 200 Wellesley, at Bleeker

Date photo taken: 20 October 2013

Image 7 in the Mural Series

This shot of colour on 200 Wellesley may just be the tallest mural in the world. At 32 storeys, the artists are hoping that it qualifies for a spot in the Guinness record book. A community project, the mural took 2 months to complete and was done with the help of lots of teenage artists under the direction of lead artist Sean Martindale. The upper portion of the mural, depicting a phoenix, was done by Jason Rouleau and Ryan Dineen of Toronto Muralists. The colourful phoenix was chosen as a fitting symbol for both the building, which suffered a six-alarm fire in 2010, and for the resilient spirit of the neighbourhood.