Ship mural tribute to Canada’s 150th
Colourful goose also a tribute to Montreal’s 375th anniversary
A five-storey mural of a colourful Canada goose on the front of Canada Steamship Lines’ CSL St-Laurent was a first for the artists who came together to create it, a first for the shipping company and a first for a Canadian commercial vessel, says the company.
“The Sea Keeper/ Gardien des eaux is an original work of art conceived by Montreal urban artist Bryan Beyung and created by Beyung with artists FONKi, Ankh One and Benny Wilding of the Ashop art collective. The monumental mural was created over a few weeks — a feat which is in itself is worth noting — and required the ingenuity of CSL’s technical team to make it a success,” the company says on its website.
The mural is that of a Canada goose, wings spread in flight, which can found along the shorelines of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway and the routes the Montrealbased shipping travels while carrying mainly loads of grain.
Each artist weaved their individual styles into the piece, which “combines cultures and styles that evoke Montreal’s and Canada’s diversity.”
The mural was unveiled on March 20, when CSL St-Laurent was the first ship to transit the St. Lambert lock in Montreal.
Over the weekend, the bulk carrier made its way down the Welland Canal, bound for Quebec, with people stopping to take photos of the vessel and its giant mural as it passed by.
The company says the painting is a tribute to both the city of Montreal and Canada, as they celebrate their 375th and 150th anniversaries respectively. It’s also a tribute to the roles of the St. Lawrence Seaway, marine transport, and CSL itself in building the nation and the city.
“CSL chose CSL St-Laurent to host the tribute to Montreal and Canada because her name honours the St. Lawrence River, and her stateof-the-art technology and seamanship represent the new generation of high-performing, environmentally responsible cargo vessels .”