Graffiti News

A new Sault library mural brings the St. Marys River, local wildlife and learning into a single public artwork. According to a Sault Ste. Marie Public Library release published by SooToday on October 28, 2026, the Canadian library officially unveiled the mural that day after a five-month collaborative project. The work is now a permanent feature of the library.

The project offers a way to look at community mural-making through the people who maintain a shared institution. A library employee developed the design, colleagues painted it by hand over the summer, and local supporters contributed materials and equipment. The library describes the finished work as a reflection of the area's history, culture, environment and shared stories.

What the Sault library mural depicts

The St. Marys River and the significance of Baawating anchor the design. The library explains Baawating as the Place of the Rapids and says the flowing water represents rapids that have brought people together across generations. Water is therefore part of the mural's stated subject, rather than simply a background for its other images.

The release identifies whitefish, rainbow trout, Canada geese, local rocks and minerals, and an open book among the mural's elements. Together, these give viewers a practical set of details to look for. Follow the water first, then locate the animals and geological forms before considering how the book connects the environment to the library's purpose.

Mishipeshu and the water

Mishipeshu is another significant figure in the mural. The library describes Mishipeshu as the Great Lynx and Underwater Wildcat, an important spiritual figure in Anishinaabe teachings associated with protection, medicine, balance and respect for water.

A staff design became a shared painting project

Amanda Turco, the library's Senior Technical Services Technician, conceived and designed the mural and transferred the image to the wall, according to the release. Library staff then spent time throughout the summer painting its elements by hand. The five-month duration refers to the collaborative project as described by the institution.

The release also records a digital tool used before painting. Ryan, Kim, Maci and Maverick Sharpe lent virtual reality equipment that helped project and sketch the design accurately onto the wall.

Materials came with local support. The library credits Dino Biassucci and Benjamin Moore Paint & Decor Concepts with sponsorship that supplied what the project needed. It also thanks store manager Kelly Greenland for helping select paints and supplies. These are distinct contributions to a work designed by Turco and painted through staff participation.

Reading the image alongside its making

Once in front of the mural, a useful approach is to trace its connections: water to wildlife, wildlife to the surrounding landscape, and the book to the library. The production story adds another connection, between an employee's design and colleagues' work with paint. It makes the mural a record of how a local institution chose to represent its place as well as an image of the place itself.

Source: SooToday, carrying the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library release, October 28, 2026.