A familiar ‘face’ will be leaving Golden.
Members of the public are invited to stop by to say farewell and snap a photo of the Swiss guides mural that has adorned a wall at the 407 Boutique/Golden Dollar Store for 24 years.
The prominent piece of Golden’s history will be replaced by a new mural that will continue to celebrate the area and the people who choose to call it home.
The current mural was painted in 1999 by Mokman (Mark) Chen and the late Greg Leckie to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Swiss guides coming to Golden.
On Aug. 2, co-founders of Ottawa’s Drift Mural Co. Dominic Laporte and Anaïs Labrèque will begin work on a new mural on the site.
The new mural will continue to honour the history of the Swiss guides, connecting Golden’s past to its present and celebrating the region’s natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
“Golden’s history is rooted in adventure – from early explorers making their way over the Rocky Mountains and the climbing expeditions of the Swiss guides, to the authentic, adventurous mountain town we have become today,” said Mayor Ron Oszust.
“I can’t wait to watch the new mural unfold and to see the addition of a vibrant new piece of public art in our community.”
Muralist Laporte’s submission was chosen by a selected jury of art representatives from the Golden community, following a request for proposal issued by Kicking Horse Culture in February 2023.
The creation of the piece is being funded between Kicking Horse Culture and the Town of Golden through the B.C.’s Resort Municipality Initiative.
“It was very clear that the Swiss guides mural was suffering from the weather and losing its lustre, and, given the arts council’s previous involvement, we felt a moral imperative that Kicking Horse Culture needed to take action to reimagine and bring the wall back to life,” said Bill Usher, who serves as the organization’s executive and artistic director.
“We are thrilled with the community engagement that has us now welcoming Dom and Anaïs to Golden to do just that.”
During the last week of July, local builder Ned Johnson, with Innovation Building, will install aluminum composite panels to the wall, allowing the old mural to live on underneath the new artwork.
Laporte and Labrèque will be onsite painting the mural from Aug. 2 to 15.
“We are really excited to be coming to Golden,” said Laporte.
“Through this mural, we hope to convey our deep respect for the mountains and the local communities’ history and natural surroundings.”
The Town of Golden and Kicking Horse Culture are grateful to John and Charlene Collison of The 407 Boutique/Golden Dollar Store for the continued use of their wall for the new mural
To learn more about the project, visit golden.ca/RMImural or follow the progress by stopping by the site or following the Town of Golden (@townofgolden), Kicking Horse Culture (@kickingculture) and Tourism Golden (@tourismgolden) on Facebook and Instagram.
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