View Royal Elementary Students Celebrate New Mural

October 5, 2023

On Monday, September 25, members of Council and the Island Corridor Foundation joined the View Royal Elementary School community to celebrate the new mural on the Helmcken Road trestle.

Located adjacent to View Royal Elementary School, the Helmcken Road trestle mural covers six concrete faces that constitute the underpass of the E&N Rail bridge. The mural took three weeks to complete over August and September this year.

As part of the celebration, Mayor Tobias introduced students to the mural's artist, Collin Elder, who gave an introduction to the mural. Collin has chosen to title the mural "Genera", which is the plural of the taxonomic word "genus". The set of images in the mural are a stylized scientific illustration of two genera - the Douglas Fir and the Western Red Cedar.

Students were excited to meet the artist and learn about the process of creating public art. Everyone in attendance agreed overwhelmingly the mural is a positive addition to the area that has helped establish an even greater sense of community. Many students expressed words of gratitude and even shared notes of appreciation!

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