Description

An historic mural depicting industry and labour in B.C. is officially recognized. Ceremony acknowledged the value of the mural painted by artist Fraser Wilson back in 1947, directly onto the walls of the old Marineworkers & Boilermakers union hall -- also known as the Pender Auditorium -- in the 300 block of West Pender Street in Vancouver. The auditorium's new owners wanted to replace the wall. With the aid of Vancouver Centennial funds and a professional art restoring team, the walls were cut apart and damages to the painting repaired before it was installed at the newly opened Maritime Labour Centre in east Vancouver. About twelve feet of the original mural had to be scrapped while Wilson, still running his graphics business, painted a newer section to compensate for the missing footage. Photograph shows Fraser Wilson on the right, with Martime Labour Centre president Dan Cole.