New mural created by local artist Ruth Ann Pearce (Photo supplied by Ruth Ann Pearce)
Chatham

New mural depicting CK history unveiled in Chatham

A new mural depicting Chatham-Kent's rich history has officially been unveiled.

The piece, created by local artist Ruth Ann Pearce, was shown to the public for the first time Thursday evening.

Located on Garden Event Centre, the mural showcases over 100 different drawings.

Pearce told CK News Today the first thing she drew was a Hawaiian pizza.

"I'm a fan of the Hawaiian pizza and my husband always told me that it was invented here," she laughed.

The famous dish was created by Sam Panopoulos and his brothers Elias and Nikitas in 1962 at Chatham's Satellite Restaurant.

One of the larger drawings is train tracks. While the piece is meant to symbolize different things, the main purpose was to remember the former slaves who used the underground railroad to escape to Canada.

"It symbolizes people who were fleeing, trying to get to safety," added Pearce.

Other drawings include corn and pumpkins in honour of the municipality's agriculture sector and different types of birds recognizing the mass migration that the region sees each year.

Pearce explained there was a lot more she wanted to include.

"I'm sure some people may say 'oh, she forgot this, she forgot that,' but hopefully everyone can focus on what I did get in there," she added.

She hopes people will find different drawings that they didn't know highlighted a different part of the region's history.

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