Larger-than-life heroes can be found right here in Bradford.
Members and staff from Bradford’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 521 were joined by dignitaries and the family of veterans for the official unveiling of a new mural on the east side of the building at 115 Back St. in Bradford on Sunday, Sept. 22.
“The reason we added the mural is to honour all of our Canadian veterans,” legion president Wendy Lang said. “We want this to be a place for people to come and to remember the sacrifice our veterans have and are currently making everyday to keep our country free and safe, while protecting others all over the world.”
A three-year collaboration between the legion’s executive and Frank Gibbs of The ACME Mind Company Inc., the new mural blends with the one installed on the south side of the building on Oct. 28, 2022, and features soldiers from the First World War, Second World War and Korean War, including Indigenous soldiers, Black soldiers and women who served as well as various equipment, scenes and images that represent Canadian military heritage.
Past president Tammy Paglia attended the ceremony and explained the second section of the mural cost roughly $14,000, of which the town provided a $10,000 grant from the downtown mural program, with the rest coming from the legion’s community fundraising efforts.
Paglia spearheaded the initial effort and said it feels “wonderful” to see the project fully realized.
“I’m so happy,” she said.
York—Simcoe MP Scot Davidson reflected that when children ask about heroes, parents don’t need to point to comics or movies.
“This mural and its depiction of Canada’s military history and those from our community who served their country is proof that heroes can be found right here in our hometown,” he said.
The mural includes the images of several local veterans such as local branch namesake Orville Hand, Frank Moore, Bert Hogg, Gord Dodgson, and Les Buxton.
While those soldiers may not have thought of themselves as heroes, Davisdon said they “exemplified dedication to their country, devotion to their families and communities, and pride and commitment to our shared values.”
Mayor James Leduc said it was an “honour” to be a part of the ceremony.
“This art will become an enduring part of the legion’s history and a lasting tribute within this building for years to come,” he said. “It is a heartfelt homage to the Canadian military and a reminder of the invaluable contributions, and for some, the ultimate sacrifice.”
The mayor highlighted another hometown hero prominently featured, Sapp. Brian Collier, who was killed at age 24 by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on foot patrol in Panjwa’i District close to Kandahar City in Afghanistan on July 20, 2010.
Several members of Collier’s family were in attendance, including his mother, Carol Collier, and father, Jim Collier.
“It’s a wonderful gesture,” Carol said, adding that the legion reached out to the family to ask for their input on Brian’s inclusion and the family provided several photos, some of which are now displayed in the mural.
She said these types of events can be “hard” as they stir difficult feelings about what happened to Brian, “but because of what happened, so many good things have come from it.”
One of the pictures included represents Brian’s sergeant, who was also killed in Afghanistan, according to Jim.
“It’s overwhelming the way the legion has supported Brian and all the other soldiers with the mural,” he said.
Brian is also featured in the south mural, where legion members later discovered his image had been defaced by vandals who cut a shape resembling a swastika into the vinyl.
That was especially upsetting to younger sister Jennine Collier who was “very sad,” to see the damage during the Remembrance Day ceremony last year.
“It was honestly heartbreaking,” she said. “I was very upset.”
That mural has since been replaced under warranty due to a material defect which had caused it to begin peeling away from the brick wall.
The legion took that opportunity to correct an error which resulted in one image being mirrored, making it look as though some service members were saluting with their left hands instead of the proper right-handed salute, as well as to update the design and more evenly distribute the images of the veterans.
As a result, Brian’s image has not only been restored, but is now much higher up.
“It’s beautiful,” Jennine said, noting the large size of his image in the mural reflects the “huge presence” Brian had in people’s lives. “It’s nice that’s going to be there for many people to see for a long, long time.”
The legion had previously raised $12,840 for the first mural.
The unveiling of the second mural was originally scheduled for July 14, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather.
