The Bain Avenue Mural Project

The Bain Avenue Mural (BAM) Project is a community-driven initiative to transform the schoolyard retaining wall on the Bain Avenue side of Withrow Avenue Junior Public School/Quest Alternative Senior School into an expansive art installation.A volunteer organizing committee consisting of members of the Bain Apartments Co-operative and past/current Withrow/Quest parents has collaborated on a proposal to have a mural for this wall painted by acclaimed Indigenous artist and historian Philip Cote. The mural will share The Seven Grandfather Teachings, which are a core set of foundational values and guiding moral principles in the Anishinaabe culture. The teachings and their corresponding animals are: Bravery (Bear), Wisdom (Beaver), Respect (Buffalo), Love (Eagle), Honesty (Raven), Truth (Turtle), Humility (Wolf).Philip will paint the corresponding animal for each teaching onto seven 8-foot-diameter circular marine-grade plywood panels that will be affixed to the schoolyard retaining wall via a racking system. The first image at the top of this page is Philip Cote's original drawing of the Wolf (Humility) for the mural. The photo below shows Philip painting this same image onto a mural panel in his studio. The words for each teaching will be spray-painted directly onto the wall by Kwest, the graffiti artist on Philip’s team.The installation of the mural created by Lead Artist Philip Cote is now planned for fall 2026, with the retaining wall currently being repaired by the TDSB over spring/summer 2026.This project began in 2019, and is gratefully funded with grants received from the Ontario Arts Council and StreetARToronto, as well as funding from the Withrow Avenue JPS Home & School Association, community events, and a local GoFundMe campaign (no longer active).The goal of this project is to improve the appearance of the neighbourhood while bringing the theme of Indigenous-settler reconciliation alive and building capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect.

More than a mural

Beyond leading the mural painting, Philip Cote has also mentored students at Withrow Avenue JPS, sharing knowledge about The Seven Grandfather Teachings and guiding the participating students to create their own artwork in the Woodlands style, which originated with Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau.In November 2020 (online) and again in January 2024 (in person), Philip facilitated two-day art workshops with the junior grades at Withrow to help students better understand the mural project’s significance and correlating Indigenous teachings and themes.
Day 1 focused on ancestral teachings and the Morrisseau style while guiding students in drawing their own designs in pencil on canvas. On Day 2, the students used paint to bring colour to their designs. These workshops were gratefully and enthusiastically received by students and school staff alike.

Samples of student work

The BAM Project will include future community events as learning opportunities for students and their families and other community members to explore Indigenous-settler relations.Event details will be posted on this site when they are available.

About the artist

Philip Cote is a Sundancer, Pipe Carrier and Sweat Ceremony leader recognized by Elder Vern Harper and Floyd Looks for Buffalo Hand. Philip is from Moose Deer Point First Nation (First Nations Affiliation: Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway and Algonquin). Philip received his Indigenous name Noodjmowin (The Healer) in 1979 from Joe Couture and was made a member of the Falseface Society at the Seneca longhouse in 1992.A graduate of OCAD University’s Interdisciplinary Art Media and Design Masters program in 2015, Philip has been exploring new ways to imbue sculpture and painting through oral traditions of storytelling and with traditional spiritual perspectives.His in-depth studio experience includes drawing, painting, soapstone carving, traditional drum-making, wood burning, bracelets/chokers, dream catchers, miniature villages, painting on birch bark, sculpting portraiture in clay, and multimedia (integrating illustration with photography and digital manipulation) and contemporary art installation.

His academic practice includes public speaking, land acknowledgements, Indigenous Cosmology and cultural interpretation offered at York University, the AGO, U of T, Ryerson, OCAD and the TDSB through the Aboriginal Education Centre.Philip aims to bring accuracy to the colonial archives through new research via archival and lived cultural practice and a deep understanding of cultural symbolism.Learn more about Philip and see examples of his work.

Project team

Kwest, street graffiti artist

Project background

The mission of the Bain Avenue Mural Project is inspired by sections 63 and 83 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. Section 63 calls for legislative commitment to indigenizing school curriculum. Section 83 calls for legislative support for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to collaborate on projects that contribute to the reconciliation process.Our vision is to promote Indigenous-settler reconciliation and healing through arts education. We are grateful to have had the guidance of Wisdom Keeper Pauline Shirt, and the support of the Urban Indigenous Education Centre.The BAM Project aims to increase knowledge and to encourage dialogue about both historical and contemporary Indigenous issues. It is important to acknowledge that Withrow/Quest school was built on Indigenous land (as noted on this Toronto Historical Board plaque). Indigenous existence on the land has too long been viewed through a colonial lens, focusing on the “historical and archaeological significance” of sacred human remains and objects that have been disturbed and unearthed without consent or respect.The members of the BAM Project Organizing Committee are grateful to live on this sacred land that has been a site of human history for thousands of years, and continues to be the home of many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people from across Turtle Island, and to Indigenous people from around the world. We recognize that in Toronto and across Canada, Indigenous people continue to experience the harms of colonialism, institutional racism, and displacement. Meanwhile, Indigenous Nations, including the Anishinaabe, the Wendat, and the Haudenosaunee, have cared for and been in reciprocal relationship with this land since time immemorial.

Support for the BAM Project

The BAM Project is made possible through the dedication of volunteers who want to nurture a kinder, fairer and more inclusive world.We are grateful for the guidance of Wisdom Keeper Pauline Shirt, and for the support of the Urban Indigenous Education Centre, the TDSB, Withrow Parent Council and school staff, and our local
government officials.We are happy to share these letters of support that the BAM Project has received from representatives of our local community over the years:
Letter from TDSB School Trustee 11/2019
Letter from East End Arts 11/2019
Letter from City Councillor 11/2019
Letter from MPP 11/2019
Letter from MP 11/2019
Letter from local realtor about positive impact 04/2021
Letter from Withrow Parent Council 05/2021

The Bain Avenue Mural Project Organizing Committee has been working together with the Withrow School Council Truth and Reconciliation Committee (a liaison between the school and the BAM Project Organizing Committee) over the years, in anticipation of the mural installation in fall 2026.We are thankful for and excited by all of the enthusiastic support we have received for this project over the years, from the school and surrounding neighbourhood, and we look forward to celebrating the mural installation with our local community.Upcoming events
An upcoming school information session and community town hall (dates TBD) will be an opportunity to learn more about the project.Past events
The BAM Project organizing committee has been working with the school and surrounding community with ongoing consultation and information opportunities:
May 30, 2026 & May 27, 2023 - Members of the BAM Project Organizing Committee had an information table at the Withrow Ave JPS Fun Fair to update the school community about the BAM Project
September 2024, 2023, 2022 - BAM Project info table at the Bain Co-op Street Festival
June 2023 & June 2024 - Representatives of the BAM Project Organizing Committee shared updates about the BAM Project at the final Withrow Parent Council meetings of the school year
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 - Parent and Staff Information Night, during which members of the BAM Project Organizing Committee presented to Withrow School staff, parents and caregivers about the project, its current status and next steps. Hosted by the Withrow Parent Council following its April meeting, after which there was a unanimous vote to have the Withrow Parent Council write a letter of support for the mural project. At this time, our school trustee and superintendent, city councillor, MPP and MP all joined in support of the mural project as well. Community updates have also been provided at Withrow Parent Council meetings, in school newsletters, on email lists, and in printed flyers.

FAQ

Q: How has the Indigenous community in Toronto been consulted about the mural?
A: The BAM Project organizing committee worked with the Urban Indigenous Education Centre through the process of engaging an Indigenous artist (Philip Cote) for the mural; the project has received guidance from Wisdom Keeper Pauline Shirt; and is being led by Lead Artist Philip Cote.Q: What is the collaboration process for the mural?
A: The TDSB, the school and the surrounding community are all key stakeholders. The TDSB supports this initiative and is working with the organizing committee to commit resources to repair and prepare the wall for the installation of the mural by Lead Artist Philip Cote.Q: How will the mural be funded?
A: A formal grant application was submitted by the BAM Project organizing committee to the 2022 Street Art Toronto (StART) Support Mural Program that funds murals in Toronto, and we are thrilled to announce that our application was successful! Money for the project has also been gratefully raised through an Ontario Arts Council Artists in Communities and Schools grant, a GoFundMe campaign, community events and the Withrow Home & School Association.Q: What is the timeline for completing the mural?
A: Our successful StART grant result was received in May 2023. A construction crew contracted by the TDSB is currently repairing and preparing the retaining wall. The installation of the mural by Lead Artist Philip Cote is now scheduled to be completed by fall 2026.Q: Won’t the mural suffer weather damage or get dirty over time?
A: A protective coating will be applied to the mural that will allow it to be washed and cleaned.Q: What if the mural is graffiti tagged or damaged?
A:There are no guarantees that the mural won’t attract graffiti tagging; however, murals in Toronto by Indigenous artists or that incorporate graffiti seem to be targeted less often. Cleaning solutions are available to remove graffiti tagging.Q: Where can I learn more about the project?
A: Feel free to email us for more information. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.This project has been a long time in the making, and outreach efforts are now focused on updating the school and surrounding community about the project to continue our momentum of support and excitement. An upcoming school information session and community town hall (dates TBD) will be other forums to learn more about the project and ask questions.
If you have a question, would like to be on our email list or want to send us some feedback, please contact us at [email protected].

Contact us

For questions or comments or to be part of the BAM Project team, please email us.[email protected]