Liverpool mural getting a facelift

George Mitchell, chair of the 250th Anniversary SQCC sub-committee shared plans to repair the mural on Home Hardware, build a performance stage and put up a clock in Liverpool’s commercial core.

The project has been in the works since the beginning of the year; however the 250th committee wanted to have all the pieces in place before making any announcement. The last piece of the puzzle was getting Region of Queens approval, which they got during council on Aug. 17.

The total cost for all three projects is about $60,000 and the committee has just about met its goal by raising $56,000 so far. Much of funding came from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, with support from the Liverpool Lion’s Club, Chamber of Commerce and Liverpool Home Hardware. The chamber still needs to raise another $4,000; however they hope to have that secured shortly.

The mural on Home Hardware has reached the end of its lifespan, and Mitchell says it was either going to be repaired or painted over. Since no one on the committee wanted to lose the mural, it became a priority.

Now they have an artist in line to fix it. Ken Spearing from Summerville, Hants Co. will also extend the mural down the left side. The cost to repair and add to the mural comes in at just under $10,000.

The challenge now is whether or not work will start this year or in the spring.

The murals, depicting historical scenes from Queens County’s past were painted over several summers, starting in 1993. Matt Cupido, a Dutch painter living in Canning, painted the one on the waterfront side of Home Hardware first before moving on to The Bargain! Shop location.

Mitchell says the second mural will last for another few years, and they hope to raise funds for that one later on. He adds because the second mural is larger, the cost to repair it is roughly $25,000.

The performance stage will be located in Privateer Park, roughly in the middle near the masts, close to the waterfront. The big reason for putting it there is access to electricity. No new lines need to be run since wires already exist underground.

A performance stage on the waterfront in Liverpool has been a dream of many individuals over the past 20 years. The original plan for the stage was quite elaborate, with a curved acoustical dome, change rooms and washrooms, but costs quickly ballooned and the idea was abandoned.

Mitchell says the chamber wants to do something in line with the outdoor performance stage by the Brooklyn Marina.

The performance stage will cost about $40,000.

The committee had hoped to find the clock that used to sit on top of the old post office in Liverpool. Mitchell chased down many rumours, from Yarmouth to Petite Riviere, hoping to bring it back for restoration. However they eventually discovered what was most likely its true fate. “We came to find out that when they took it down they dropped it, and it smashed. It ended up in Garson’s junkyard in Yarmouth,” he says.

Despite the setback, the committee decided to put a clock in anyway. There are still a few more details to work out, like what it will look like and where it will go, but they will get one, says Mitchell.

Once the clock and the performance stage are built, the Region of Queens will assume maintenance and liability insurance responsibilities.