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10 Gilbert Avenue
Location Map
"Let Only Good Spirits Guide You".
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Location: SE corner Gilbert & Burrows; North Face
Occupant: Gilbert Park Housing
District: McPhillips-Keewatin
Neighbourhood: Burrows-Keewatin
Artist(s): Chandler McLeod
Year: 2004
Sponsors: Gilbert Park Tenants Association, Winnipeg Boys & Girls Clubs, Doug Martindale (MLA Burrows)
Painters: Thanks to Pam Zorn.
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Gilbert Park is a Manitoba Housing Complex situated in the McPhillips-Keewatin
district of the city. Like other Manitoba Housing sites, the tenants here are economically
disadvantaged and face perhaps greater challenges than other Winnipeggers in their day-
to-day life. The Gilbert Park Tenants Association exists to try to bring about
improvements and a greater sense of satisfaction comfort and pride in their community.
According to Association President Chuckie Brunette, several events have been planned
and carried off successfully in the recent past, including community BBQ's and
community Bingos, which serve the dual purpose of increasing neighbourly fellowship
while raising money for children's programs. More recently, the Association set its
sights on providing an outward signal to the larger community that there are positive
changes at work within the Park.
The idea for a Mural was put forward by Pam Zorn, the Community Facilitator from Nor'
West Community Health Centre. Zorn felt that a Mural would be a really good visual to
get people motivated to work towards community change. As luck would have it, artist
Chandler McLeod, who used to live in the Park, was visiting at Four Feathers in the
Housing complex, and met with the Tenant's Association about designing a Mural for a
wall at the bus stop on the corner of Burrows and Gilbert. McLeod is well known in the
community for his artwork. His work is on display in the Aboriginal Head Start
Program; and he also donates pieces to Child Find Manitoba. McLeod was quite willing
to accept this project, and did it at cost. The Mural progressed slowly, due to the wet
weather; and was completed in about one month. The Mural depicts a family, an eagle
and seven teachings of inspiration that are appropriate to all- independent of race,
religion, culture or economic status.
Pam Zorn: "We hope that when people drive by or wait for the bus in front of the Mural,
they will see that positive things are happening in this community and that a change of
perception has to happen within each of us before it can happen in the community."
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