The Humboldt CN station has undergone a minor facelift.
The Humboldt Murals Committee has added murals containing the flags of origin for the people of Humboldt.
The project began in the fall with help from the Humboldt Regional Newcomers Centre.
A call was also made to residents asking for feedback about what their country of origin is. Residents were given until October to provide feedback and there was a wide range of responses.
A total of 41 different countries from five continents are represented on the murals currently up at the station based on responses given up to October.
Jennifer Hoesgen is the city representative that helps the mural committee and she thought the project was a great showcase for Humboldt.
“I think it’s a really good reflection of the cultural diversity that exists in Humboldt right now.”
The cultural diversity doesn’t surprise Hoesgen at all.
“That was part of our Humboldt 50 year plan was to be welcoming to people and investments from around the world,” she said.
The idea came from the Communities in Bloom who were looking to improve the look of the CN station. They took their idea to the murals committee who reviewed the request and decided that it was a great idea because at the turn of the 20th century the people immigrating to Humboldt mainly arrived via train, at the CN station.
According to their website, the Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization that is “committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with focus on enhancing green spaces in communities.”
Funding for the project came from the Communities in Bloom, who received a community grant.
Hoesgen thought that the murals might also attract some tourism to the community.
“Anytime you can take a building and do a little beautification to it, it’s just another way to attract people to Humboldt and to the downtown.”
For now the murals are temporary with no plans for something more permanent.
“That was kind of our first temporary art installation that the mural committee has done and so we’re looking to see what people think about it,” Hoesgen said.
Since the murals are on site at the train station Hoesgen wants everyone to enjoy the murals with caution.
“We’ve asked people to respect CN’s property and not trespass on it but to just have a look at the art from a safe location,” she said.
