"Sunday, June 25th, saw the
unveiling of a new mural on Bell Island. This mural is quite unique in
that it was not a painting; instead it was carved directly into an
existing brick wall. The wall is part of what was once the vault for the
Records' and Surveyors' Office and Records Office and in later years as
the the old Wabana Town Hall. Today the building is being used by the
folks of the Touch of Class Project.
The nearly 100 sq ft relief
sculpture features such activities as tending to work horses, working on
the picking belt, liming fences and keeping a steam compressor going.
These activities were some of the duties performed
by young workers on Bell Island during it's mining days. The sculpture,
"Youth at Work", by local artist, Brian Burke, was sponsored by the Bell
Island Sports Hall of Fame, the Bell Island Junior Hockey Team, the
Wabana Town Council and the Bell Island Heritage Society.
The unveiling was performed
by former miners, Vince Dalton and Bob Skanes along with Colin and John
O'Keefe. Colin and John represented today's youth as well as their
grandfather, Mr. Charlie Bown who was a longtime promoter of Bell
Island. While the weather proved to be less than favourable, those in
attendance were quite happy to be on hand for the event and were more
than pleased with the finished mural Bell Island has proven again that
it is capable of doing things that few other communities, regardless of
size, would think of attempting. It is anticipated that there will be
more in the future so stay tuned."
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