Black paint now covers a well-known Yorkton mural, displeasing some residents

A 15-year-old street mural that became a landmark in downtown Yorkton, Sask., has been painted over in black by the new owners of the building it decorated.

The mural faced City Central Park, located on Broadway Street West in downtown Yorkton.

Filled with figures from the past and present, it was painted on the wall of a liquor store by Moose Jaw artist Grant McLaughlin in 2008.

The mural, roughly 5 1/2 metres by 21 metres, functioned as the backdrop to a stage for small performances in the park. It added to the park's atmosphere, Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said.

"It's been a wonderful gathering centre, and because of the ambiance of what we've created there, we want that to continue, but the new owners have every right to paint that wall whatever colour they want," he said.

A worker paints over Yorkton's best-known street mural, created by Moose Jaw artist Grant McLaughlin in 2008. (Mike Bender/Facebook)

Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority said in an email that it sold the liquor store last November. According to a cabinet order, SLGA received permission to sell the building to Pumphouse Athletic Corp. for $1.18 million.

Among the terms of the sale, it said, was to give the City of Yorkton the ability to decide the future of the mural.

Hippsley didn't comment on whether the city considered using that clause to preserve the mural, but said it made "attempts" to keep the art.

Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley says the old mural added to the park's atmosphere. He doesn't know if anything will replace it. (Shlok Talati/CBC)

Pumphouse Athletic Club, a local fitness facility, opened its new location in June, according to a Facebook post by the company.

Hippsley said owners of the gym met with city council in May before to discuss painting over the existing mural, so it was no surprise when it happened.

He said he doesn't know what will replace the mural or if the wall will continue to only stay the way it is — black.

"Of course we're all crossing our fingers that whatever they do, it will become part of the ambiance again," he said.

Pumphouse Athletic Club said Friday it didn't have anyone available for a comment.

The mural on the east end of the downtown park, was designed and painted by Grant McLaughlin in 2008 to give a sense of what McLaughlin thought represented Yorkton. (Submitted by Mitch Hippsley)

Tonia Vermette, a Yorkton artist, worked with McLaughlin on restoring and retouching the mural in 2021 — a project that took weeks, she said. She also worked with two other local artists to refurbish the mural again last year.

She said she learned about the new paint job when a friend sent her a picture of the freshly painted wall on Wednesday, and found it "shocking and upsetting."

"It just feels like you're erasing a part of the community, this image that had become a real identifying landmark in Yorkton and all of a sudden, gone — it's just black," she said.

"I don't know if the business owners consulted anyone in the community about why they're doing this."

The mural was roughly 5 1/2 metres by 21 metres and acted as a backdrop to a two-metre high circular performance stage. The wall was painted black by the new owners of what used to be a government liquor store. (Thom Weir/Facebook)

The mural had not been loved by everybody. Some Yorkton residents cited a lack of Indigenous perspective or inclusivity.

Hippsley notes that council was aware of those concerns before it agreed to install a teepee in the park in 2022.

"Back in 2020, when we formed a new council, we were at a function at City Centre Park and we were sitting there looking at the mural, basically admiring it, and then the light went on," he said.

"We [thought] we really have no inclusion here with the Indigenous population, our communities."

The Yorkton Business Improvement District, the organization in charge of maintaining the mural, wasn't immediately available for a comment.