Communities in Ontario and Alberta are turning public spaces into places that celebrate history, identity, and connection. From a historic monument in Windsor to murals in Beaumont, Saugeen Shores, and Fort Frances, each project offers a different way to tell a local story.

Windsor: Honouring Black history

On August 1, hundreds gathered in Jackson Park for the unveiling of Windsor, Ont.’s, long-awaited Emancipation Celebration Monument, honouring the city’s history of Emancipation Day celebrations and its deep ties to Black history.

According to CTV News, the ceremony featured choirs, bands, poetry, and reflections on the significance of Emancipation Day, which marks the day the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire.

The 8.5-m (28-ft) monument features an archway inspired by Jackson Park’s original bandstand, which burned down in 1957. Murals and panels tell stories of local Black history and Emancipation Day, while benches and a shaded area create space for people to gather.

The idea for an Emancipation monument was first proposed in 2012. More than a decade later, the project has become a permanent part of the park.

Beaumont: Youth shape the story

In Beaumont, Alta., public art is telling a community story through the voices of local youth.

In late June, the City recently unveiled new murals at the Chantal Bérubé Community Youth Centre, completing a project shaped through community engagement. Edmonton artist Josh Harnack worked with residents and youth through workshops, discussions, and design sessions.

Young participants contributed drawings, ideas, and perspectives that helped shape the finished murals, creating artwork intended to reflect Beaumont’s identity while giving young people a lasting mark on a space they use.

Saugeen Shores: Art on everyday streets

In Saugeen Shores, Ont., artists have transformed something much more ordinary: traffic control boxes.

Eight utility cabinets along Highway 21—five in downtown Port Elgin and three in Southampton—have been covered with colourful murals celebrating local landscapes, wildlife, landmarks, and local cultural connections.

According to the Town of Saugeen Shores, artists Sloane Hull, Jeannette Ladd, and Rowan Stephenson each highlighted their own connections to the area. Supported by Bruce County’s Spruce the Bruce program, the project is part of the Town’s placemaking and beautification efforts.

Fort Frances: A library’s history on its walls

In Fort Frances, Ont., a library wall has become a history lesson in itself.

Artist Lindsay Joy Hamilton spent about a month creating A Never-failing Spring, a 27-by-18-foot mural at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.

At its centre is a child reader, surrounded by imagery representing the evolution of communication and libraries, including cave paintings, a clay tablet, Gutenberg’s printing press, and a modern library.

Hamilton also incorporated technology and community imagery, reflecting the library’s role as both a place of knowledge and a place of togetherness.

More than decoration

Together, the four projects show how public art can do more than brighten a streetscape. It can preserve history, amplify local voices, and turn familiar spaces into landmarks—giving communities new ways to see themselves reflected in the places they share.