Discover this spectacular 4400 square foot mural downtown on the alleyway walls between Talbot Street and the Moore Street parking lot. On the east wall, the orange and red colours feel hot, like sunrise into midday; on the west wall, the green and blue shades feel cool, comparable to late afternoon and sunset. The mechanical and digital forms that tower over the trees on both sides of the alley indicate human intervention into the natural environment, almost akin to alien spaceships. The hot wall connects with the early stages of industrial development when nature was exploited without much thought given to the long-term consequences. The cool wall indicates a shift in thinking, an opportunity to find a sustainable way for human beings to engage with nature. Will we continue to be like aliens on earth, destroying our surroundings, or will we find a new balance? In a way, the mural feels hopeful. We have done the hot work of development and re-shaping nature to our purposes through technology, and now we need to do the cool work of making this less destructive. Sunrise, sunset – if we do not find ways to live in balance with each other and the environment, are we risking ecological catastrophe?

(Photo provided by Van Pelt’s Business Solutions)

(Information provided by Railway City Tourism)