05-27-2016, 07:20 PM
(05-27-2016, 02:00 PM)KevinL Wrote: As we know, the Region is planning public art installations at various stations. A short time ago, a tour was arranged for artists aspiring to be commissioned, showing them the physical context of each site and having members of the community give cultural context.
Each of these presentations were filmed, as it turns out, and have just been posted to the Region's YouTube channel.
I watched the piece on the Mill Station site, which is of interest to me. I see that they captured the historical dimension of the site (including the transit angle of the bus terminus - there was a small, dark green wooden bus stop with a peaked roof in the triangle that I remember from childhood. It was also the site of one of the Eby farms, on the original Eby land grant, and they mention the orchards that were there until the 1950s (the Eby farmhouse and gardens stood down Mill where the seniors residence and neighbouring apartment building are now). And they make the point, often forgotten I think, that Mill St is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) street in Kitchener - it apparently follows the path parallel to Schneiders Creek that the original Mennonite settlers would have followed. That's a good bit of local history for what is now a fairly non-descript part of town. Seems like terrific information for the successful artist to work with!