Posted by Leighton Reid on Nov 13, 2016
The past comes alive vibrantly in Islington, Toronto's Village of Murals.  
 
The village of Islington is located on Dundas Street West between Montgomery Road and Kipling Avenue.  
 
With a history spanning more than 200 years, proximity to Mimico Creek and Dundas Street, with its role in connecting York (now Toronto) with all of southwestern Ontario, were factors in attracting settlers to the Islington area, and these features remain important to the modern day "settlers" who live and do business in this area.
 
On November 10, we were privileged to be able to borrow Lola Macanowicz, Chairperson of the Islington Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) to get an inside glimpse of the workings of the BIA of this historic location.
Formed in 1986, the BIA now comprises over 200 merchants and businesses on Dundas from Islington to Kipling. A BIA is an association of business people within a specified district who join together with approval from the City of Toronto in a self-help program aimed at stimulating local business. There are over 80 BIAs in Toronto.  Islington Village BIA is one of the most colourful!
 
The Islington BIA has been tireless in beautifying its area with murals, flowers and other points of interest, as well as organizing various community events, such as the “Merchant Mingle” networking event in March every year, and “Community Clean Sweep” in April, to welcome spring with clean streets and storefronts. It also organizes a Community Police Walkabout to address any merchant concerns.                         
 
But by far the most striking of the BIA's projects is the series of 26 wall murals depicting the varied history of the area. The murals, lifelike and compelling, were done by local artists such as John Kuna.
 
Most of us can remember scenes very much like those depicted in the murals, giving the painted brick and stone a warm and evocative quality.  The one depicted here called “The Manse Committee” appears to be cut out from the wall and gives an apparent three-dimensional view of a church minister’s house.
 
See here for a close-up look at the murals and a description of each.