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Burnaby eyes $110K ‘next level’ wall of fame mural to honour stars like Michael J. Fox

Mural would be 200-feet long with interactive displays, and it would be located where illegal graffiti is rampant.
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Burnaby's Michael J. Fox, right. He and his wife Tracy Pollan, left, both do a lot of fundraising for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

The City of Burnaby is considering creating a “next level” interactive wall of fame mural to honour local residents who have achieved success through the arts, culture, sports and entertainment.

A city staff report presented to the executive committee of council detailed the project, which would be about 200-feet long and honour such people as soccer superstar Christine Sinclair, actor Michael J. Fox, singer Michael Buble, actor Carrie Ann Moss, punk bank DOA and NHL legend Joe Sakic.”

The proposed location for the mural project is adjacent to the entrance of Royal Oak SkyTrain station at 6976 Palm Ave., which in turn results in the art being visible to SkyTrain passengers, vehicle commuters, pedestrians and users of the BC Parkways path.

“The 200-foot long mural will be created on a wall that is currently one of Burnaby's most active illegal graffiti locations,” said the report.

Based on preliminary estimates, the cost of the mural painting and digital media is estimated at approximately $110,000, which includes $30,000 for costs associated with mural preparation/painting and $80,000 for digital art and augmented reality content creation.

“The joint property owners have also expressed interest in providing some funding to this project, as have other organizations within the community,” said the report. “Robust discussions with community partners will commence should staff receive approval to develop this project further.”

The report recommends setting up a selection committee of staff, politicians and community members to develop a list of prospective “Burnaby stars” to go on the mural.
“The Burnaby Wall of Fame project is an opportunity to not only celebrate, but also interactively demonstrate, tremendous achievements of individuals with close ties to our community,” says the report.