Gamble, with Summerside’s Royal Canadian Legion, had been worried about the future of a mural displayed on the exterior of the legion home for 16 years.
“We were worried where it would go or whether it would be thrown in the trash.”
Gamble put out a public call for help. It was answered by the City of Summerside.
He said that the 25-by-25-foot mural is now in the hands of Lori Ellis, the city’s manager of heritage and cultural properties.
“It came down about a week and a half ago,” added Gamble.
Painted on panels of wood by artist Greg Garand, the mural had to be removed to accommodate work now underway by the Murchison Group, who purchased the building from the Legion three years ago.
It features Flying Officer Charles E. Monty, Company Sgt. Maj. Harry J. Bishop, Capt. Fred T. Peters and nursing sister Beatrice Rankin. The
Merchany Navy is also represented.
The mural, itself, belonged to the Legion, not the building’s current owners.
It was weather worn, faded and in need of retouching. That, along with the cost to remove, store and erect is elsewhere — an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 — was something the Legion couldn’t afford.
“We had some individuals who thought they might put it on one of their large buildings on their properties. There were different ideas,” said Gamble. “We wanted it to go somewhere where it would be prominent and we wouldn’t lose that part of our history at the Legion.”
He wasn’t sure what the city’s plans are for the mural.
A message left for Ellis and an email sent to the city’s communications director earlier today have not been returned.