Peace and Remembrance

Artist: Tyler Toews

Created: 2019

Medium: Mural

2140 Columbia Ave, Rossland, BC

Every year, the community of Rossland gathers at the war memorial outside the library to honour local veterans. In 2019—the 75th anniversary of D-Day—this mural was painted on the wall of the building next to the Cenotaph, a bright and colourful addition to the Remembrance Day service and a year-round reminder of Canada’s dedication and sacrifice.

Artist Tyler Toews was commissioned by the Rossland Council for Arts and Culture (RCAC) to portray an alpine meadow of wildflowers and poppies. A community member, Bill Coedy, had a vision to enhance the building wall beside the cenotaph with a colourful mural. The mural project was managed in collaboration with RCAC who came up with the peace and remembrance theme.  The wildflowers selected for the mural are native to the Rossland Range. 

“The local wildflowers and the big poppy symbolize peace and commemoration with the iconic local mountains in the background. This peaceful image is tied to the local area and its people,” said Toews. “Just as many gave their lives fighting for our freedom, a gift that keeps giving, the alpine meadow flowers bless us with their beauty year after year. At the first mountain frost the flowers give their lives as some Rosslanders did during WW1, WW2 and Korea.” 

Born and raised in British Columbia, Toews currently works and resides in Nelson. He’s created large scale murals for cities and businesses across Canada. 

The mural art was painted on eight separate four-by-eight-foot aluminum composite panels. According to Coedy, this approach was chosen on the recommendation of the Rossland Heritage Committee. It is mounted on the east wall of the heritage-listed Lalonde & Rodier building with the kind permission of the building’s owners.

As the poppy’s petals blend into the shapes of the mountains in the background, the mural blends into the heart of Rossland’s artistic outdoor community. While commemorating the Rosslanders who’ve sacrificed their lives to war, the painting symbolizes our country’s ongoing commitment to world peace.