Skip to content

Delburne ponders its faded photos

It’s a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’ for some Delburne residents.

It’s a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone’ for some Delburne residents.

Some local people who weren’t sure what to think of the large photo murals that were erected on the side of buildings in their community are now sure that they miss them.

The community, as a whole, was sad and disappointed when 300-plus large photo portraits of Delburne residents came down in the rain a week after being mounted around town, said Family and Community Support Services worker Nora Smith.

As the instigator of the Belonging project that also asked about priorities for the village’s future, she was heartened to hear how many more local residents are now invested in the murals.

“Even people who were sitting on the fence about it have now come on board, so that’s good. I’m really happy about it,” Smith added.

Toronto photographer John Beebe expected the black and white murals to last six months to two years, and was surprised by what the rainy June weather had wrought.

Beebe said he would wait to see what Delburne residents want him to do — whether to have the photo portraits published in a book, to figure out a more weather-resistant system of preserving outdoor images or any other ideas.

This week, the local FCSS office is distributing leaflets asking Delburne residents to submit their thoughts on what the future visual component of the Belonging project should look like. They can fill out written surveys or email their input to the village office.

Delburne residents will have until September to suggest how to restore the visual component of the project, and also to suggest how to move ahead on community priorities, said Smith, who plans to have public meetings on this in the fall.

Downtown revitalization, expanded local services and better communications were the main priorities that came out of a previous public survey.

lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com