6 February 2024 – Having puttered my way along Commercial Drive, I am now zigzagging my way north-west through various neighbourhoods, making my way to Main Street and a bus on home.
No particular plan, so it’s sheer serendipity and pleasure to find myself on Charles Street looking north along McLean — the site of Mosaic Creek Park.
Hundreds of mosaic tiles form the “creek” running through this tiny park. It is the late-90s creation of a determined local coalition, the Britannia Neighbours Community Group, with the help of mosaic artists Glen Anderson and Marina Szijarto, who ran workshops and facilitated tile-making by any community member who wanted to take part.
The Park Board insisted the tiles be frost-proof, but set no artistic criteria. People were free to create whatever they wanted to create.
Agile fish, for example…
or a sleepy cat…
or wind-blown leaves…
or (why not) a dancing, prancing human being.
The two people on that corner bench, though relaxed and companionable, are not dancing. In raspy voices, they discuss strategies for getting your s**t together in rehab.
Farther down McLean, two dapper young businessmen stand side by side, eyeing a corner lot. In quick, clipped voices, they discuss marketing strategies for new builds.
restlessjo
/ 7 February 2024It’s a great background to life.
icelandpenny
/ 16 February 2024and to contrasting lives, just one block apart
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
/ 7 February 2024I love that “creek”. What a wonderful community project!
bluebrightly
/ 19 February 2024Wonderful mosaics! They’re always fascinating to look at, right?