Rating
Featured/Unfeatured
Claimed/Unclaimed
calendar.jpg
90 4th Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2C6 Canada
Since being converted from the retired Williams Lake fire hall in 2009, the Central Cariboo Arts Centre provides studio space for the WL Spinners, Weavers, and Fibre Artists’ Guild, the Cariboo Potters’ Guild, and the Cariboo Arts Society.
The Arts Centre is also home base to the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, and the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake. Two rental spaces are available for community use.
legendsofthe75th.jpg
29A 3rd Ave. S., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1J1 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2004
Funded by: Communities in Bloom, City of Williams Lake, Peterson Contracting, The Paint Depot, Leon’s Painting, Windsor Plywood, and Davis Arts

About:

Dwayne says the railway wasn’t supposed to travel through Williams Lake originally, it was planned for the much larger centre at the time 150 Mile House, then on to Quesnel. But, “in true wild-west fashion” says Dwayne, “someone paid someone and somehow, the railroad got re-routed to its current location and this City’s future was assured.” Another strong influence that helped to build Williams Lake is the Stampede Rodeo, an event that will reach its 100th year in 2026. Now a popular family attraction, the Stampede started out with dare-devil events and wild parties in the streets and many unruly cowboys locked in jail. As for the mural’s three “Williams,” William Pinchbeck (1831 – 1893) was a gold rush roadhouse operator, ranch owner, and an officer for the British Columbia Provincial Police. Chief William, namesake of the City of Williams Lake, was chief in 1842 when the first priest, Father Demers, visited the Cariboo and New Caledonia. Chief William offered Father Demers his own house to stay in and the Chief himself moved into his son’s house next door. Chief William was responsible for keeping the peace between the Aboriginal people and the early gold miners in 1859. He died in the smallpox epidemic of 1862. His son Chief William Junior took over leadership of the Williams Lake Secwepemc people and after some persistent lobbying he managed to convince the provincial government to give his people the Sugarcane reserve in 1879. While Dwayne was painting the mural, a passerby, William Lyne, told him about his own relative, William Lyne Senior who was an early settler in the Williams Lake area. Dwayne looked at the photo and promptly added the 3rd William to the mural. This mural was painted for Williams Lake’s 75th birthday and depicts the town’s early influences: The Pacific Great Eastern Railway, cowboy & ranching culture, and the City’s three “Williams”: William Pinchbeck (left), Chief William (centre), and William Lyne Sr. (right). The cowboys here are Pierro Squinahan and Patrick Chelsea shown performing an early stampede rodeo event called Roman Racing where cowboys would ride two horses with one foot on each horse.

Artistic Notes:

At a mural price of $4000, and the largest mural Dwayne had ever been commissioned for, his challenge was to keep costs down. During the long painting process, it rained often and at one point the scaffolding got stuck and almost tipped over. Our prolific Dwayne Davis almost became part of Williams Lake history right then and there! Of all Dwayne’s murals in Williams Lake, this one covers the largest square footage. Lion Carrigon donated time to prepare the wall for the mural and Peterson Contracting donated power scaffolding so Dwayne could access the complete wall to paint it.

SodaCreek.jpg
Cariboo Hwy, Williams Lake, BC V2G 4Y9, Canada

This network is just north of Williams Lake and can be accessed at Deep Creek or Soda Creek. For a super fun quick loop, park at the top of the road leading to X’atsull Heritage Village. Follow the trail under the highway, up, around and down. Looking to extend your ride? Take one of the trails down to X’atsull. This beautiful site is nestled on the banks of the Fraser River. Looking for a killer cross country? Check out Trailforks for a 30km ride with awesome views of the Fraser river and the valley. Be prepared for a few down trees and overgrowth on the trails.

102-366 Yorston St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J5, Canada
299 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M2, Canada
paper.jpg
450 Mart St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3 Canada
roadhousemural.jpg
299 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M2 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2014
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake BIA and City of Williams Lake on Williams Lake’s 85th Anniversary

About:

Dwayne wanted to paint a scene from a roadhouse which were vital centers during the goldrush era before the railroad. Dwayne says the stage coaches could only make 20-30 miles a day, so we had a lot of these roadhouses dotting the gold rush trail. They provided a post office, café, and hotel services to gold miners. Towns like Williams Lake grew up around the roadhouses. The practice of the day was for gold miners to stop and get rest and supplies on the way to Barkerville and then, depending on their luck, they would return to the roadhouse to either buy it, or work there until they could afford to get back on the goldrush trail. This is the scene from a typical roadhouse, a stopping place for stage coaches on their way to and from the Barkerville gold rush. The mural is dedicated to the many posts that serviced the road-weary travellers of the 1860’s to the mid 1900’s from Lillooet to the Cariboo to Barkerville. The car and truck are from the 1920’s. The man on the horse is Antoine Boitanio (1880’s – 1940’s) who was born on the Alkali Lake Reserve and was instrumental in starting the Williams Lake Stampede. Boitanio Mall, Boitanio Park and Boitanio Lake all bear his hame. The man smoking is Charlie Twann, honoured in 2006 by BC Cowboy Hall of Fame after 70 years of working on cattle ranches. When Dwayne was a child he saw Twann’s photo and he always remembered it – he painted Twann’s photo into this mural because his pose reminded Dwayne of all the Tsilhqot’in cowboys. The man in the middle is the property owner’s dad who is still alive and well and living in the area.

Artistic Notes:

Sepia tones are used to capture the feel of a time long ago. Dwayne used the truck and car to anchor the foreground of the mural in the actual modern-day parking lot, to give the viewer the impression that one could step into the past and join the gold rush fever. Dwayne had help from his uncle Stew Davis, who is not an artist but was willing to do blocking-in work. Artist Elizabeth Hoelderl contributed her skills to parts of the pick-up and the car wheels.

recycledpaint.jpg
271 Oliver Street, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M2, Canada

Artist: Young Naturalists Club with Sashi Star, 2011
Made Possible by: Delainey’s Lock & Key, Scout Island Young Naturalists Club, and the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society’s Waste Wise Program

About:

Sick of seeing graffiti on the side of their building, Angie Delainey organized this painting event to both paint over the existing graffiti and hopefully deter future vandalism.  The paint was sourced at Central Cariboo Disposal’s paint recycling program by Mary Forbes of the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society’s Waste Wise Program.  In an average year, the paint recycling program diverts tens of thousands of paint cans and spray cans, which are instead returned to the depot where both the containers and the paint contents are properly recycled.  Community members have the opportunity to use this paint for their home projects.  For information call Central Cariboo Disposal, 5101 Frizzi Road in Williams Lake at (250) 392-5893.

Artistic Notes:

Members of the community and the Young Naturalists Club (over 50 people!) came out on a beautiful spring-weather Earth Day, working under the direction of Sashi Star, who brought cohesion to the many pieces of art being created simultaneously.  This was truly a community effort!  Viewers will notice a red-winged blackbird which represents Scout Island (the bird is part of their logo), and several caribou which represent the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society. Since this wall was painted, there has only ever been one unsanctioned addition – a small “stick man” added to the corner.  All other graffiti has ceased.

64 MacKenzie Ave S, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1C3, Canada
27 3 Ave N, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1, Canada
fitness.jpg
110 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L8 Canada
(250) 392-6620(250) 392-6620

Dance in Common is an established accredited studio offering ballet; Cecchetti method, jazz and contemporary classes.

mercantilemural.jpg
8 3rd Ave. S., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1H9 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2012
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake BIA, Cariboo Friendship Society and support of the Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake through the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society

About:

The “What a Boy Wants” sign above the bike for sale is Dwayne’s tip-of-the-hat to the biking community that was just starting to take off at the mural’s painting in 2012. General Mercantile & Tack did not really exist, but it is the kind of store that would have been the hub of each community during the 1890’s. Featured in the mural are the real historical figures Judge Begbie (1819 – 1894), standing beside the entry to the store, and Lloyd Cyclone Smith (1895 – 1932), standing in the doorway holding a saddle. The Dry Goods salesman, sitting with a cat, was painted from a photo of the property owner’s grandfather.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne chose to paint in sepia tones to give the mural a 19th century feel. The only detail not in sepia tones are the flowers in the window boxes, which Dwayne added to bring colour to the mural. Dwayne wanted to make this mural approachable and he capitalized on the empty space in front of the mural wall by creating a design that lends itself to interaction. His goal was to make the viewer feel they are part of the mural. The many people who pose in front of this mural, with vintage cars and clothing, or just for fun, are a testament to Dwayne’s success. Two amateur artists, Miranda Fontaine (staff at Friendship Society) and Jamie Moore (summer student at Downtown Williams Lake BIA) helped to paint this mural. Dwayne likes to mentor amateur mural artists. Typically, he creates the mural design and then shows the artists how to paint rough work, or specific details. On this mural, the young artists had the opportunity to paint quite a bit, and Dwayne spent as much time mentoring as he did painting himself.

run.jpg
Located at Kiwanis Park, Williams Lake, BC CA

This is one of three public restrooms in Downtown Williams Lake. Please note that these washrooms are closed during the winter months.

12 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L7, Canada
450 Mart St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3, Canada
446 Oliver St. Unit 310, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M4 Canada
welcometoourgarden.jpg
349 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M4 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2008
Funded by: Communities in Bloom

About:

This garden scene was inspired by one of Dwayne’s earliest trips to the coast where he saw Bouchard Gardens for the first time. Those early memories, combined with input from Communities in Bloom, gave rise to the sanctuary now depicted on the wall. A garden scene from the Artist’s imagination.

Artistic Notes:

The mural was originally planned with a border all the way around, but it was a challenge to create the illusion of the brick receding back towards the painted gazebo. Dwayne achieved the “walk in” feel by extending the painted brick outside the border to the bottom of the wall, where the painting now touches the real parking lot cement. The painting is done in an impressionist style, with details blurred, and is meant to be gazed at from a distance. Artist Lee Sollenberger and friend Darren Thompson worked with Dwayne on this mural. Darren painted the black border surrounding the picture and learned to paint flowers. The three had a great time working on the mural together and Dwayne says that to date, this mural was the most fun to paint.

run.jpg
Located at Spirit Square, Williams Lake, BC CA

This is one of three public restrooms in Downtown Williams Lake. Please note that these washrooms are closed during the winter months.

Rotary Recognizes Volunteers.jpg
730 Oliver Street, Williams Lake, BC, Canada
298 Borland St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1R3, Canada
soccer.jpg
198 4th Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2C7 Canada

Kiwanis Park is truly a park for the young (and young at heart)!

Located in the heart of downtown and adjacent to the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, the park contains a Little League ball field, tennis courts, a state of the art spray park, swings, slides, adventure play structure, washroom, picnic facilities and gazebo.

odetothe20s.jpg
635 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M8 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2013
Funded by: A Downtown Williams Lake BIA Initiative in partnership with Davis Arts. Project made possible with contributions from Williams Lake and District Credit Union, Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake.

About:

In 2013 Williams Lake was coming out of a depression and Dwayne felt inspired to paint the 1920’s era, a time that felt care-free and playful. He chose to paint a speakeasy scene because he noticed there were three windows on the wall, and that made him think of the three entertainment venues in Williams Lake that burned down: The Maple Leaf Hotel (1920-1977) at 1st and Oliver, the Ranch Motel (1919-1921) at Oliver Street and Mackenzie and the Lakeview Hotel (fire 2005) at Oliver and Yorston. The other half of the mural depicts a bakery, which Dwayne chose as a tip-of-the-hat to the building’s current occupant, Taylor Made Cakes. A speakeasy and bakery from the roaring 20’s era. Find Charlie Chaplin enjoying a moment out of the spotlight.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne’s mural uses a forced perspective to create the illusion that one could walk into the mural. The original plan was for the business there to set up a patio, table and chairs, which would have added depth to the trompe d’oeil effect. Downtown Williams Lake BIA Summer student, Abbigayle Taylor, worked with Dwayne on this mural. Abbigayle is the daughter of the couple that own and run the bakery Taylor Made Cakes, the business directly beside the mural.

pencil.jpg
1 Mackenzie Ave. N, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N4 CA

Built by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in late 1919, the Station House, is Williams Lake’s oldest building and has always served as a centre of activity for the community. Over the years it has been a meeting place for civic, schooI boards and other groups. In the 60’s and 70’s the building fell into a state of disrepair, a bit of an eyesore in fact. A group of concerned citizens formed a Society to preserve it and that group, seeing the need for a cultural centre formally became the Station House Studio & Gallery Society in 1981. Since that time it has again become a place to see old friends and enjoy conversations about the town’s goings on.

The building still has its original wood floors, passenger waiting room bench and blueprints are proudly displayed in the stairwell to the upper gallery.

In 2019 the Station House celebrates 100 years of serving the community.

360076480_1031488614686710_7125588561814068141_n.jpg
48 Yorston Street, Williams Lake, BC, Canada
175 4 Ave N, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2C8, Canada
theater.jpg
78 3rd Ave. S., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1H9 Canada

GRAB A SEAT FOR THE BEST SHOW AROUND!

whendutycalls.jpg
90 4th Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2C6 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2002
Funded by: Communities in Bloom, City of Williams Lake

About:

Initially, this mural met with some resistance from the Firehall. The Fire Chief thought the mural would be flowers and he wanted none of it. Half way through the mural creation, the firemen decided they liked it. When the mural was completed they all posed proudly for a picture in front of it. The firefighters were later inspired to paint the door in the wall red to match the mural. It is fitting that the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society now inhabits this building and its past use as a firehall will not be forgotten thanks to Dwayne’s vivid mural. Depicted here is a history of three eras of fire-fighting. On the right, we see a steam-powered water pumper connected to a horse buggy. Centered is the large spool for water hoses. The men would push the hand cart to the fire where they would connect to a water truck or to a water hydrant. On the left is a modern-day fire truck beside fire fighters in action wearing modern-day gear. The fire itself was inspired by the Tony’s Leather fire (1950) downtown Williams Lake.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne’s challenge here was to blend eras in a readable way. Notice the illusion he has created of the wall falling and the fire is coming towards the viewer. Dwayne worked closely on this mural with eldest daughter, Denica Davis, who was at the time an aspiring young artist.

run.jpg
Located at Boitanio Park, Williams Lake, BC CA

This is one of three public restrooms in Downtown Williams Lake. Please note that these washrooms are closed during the winter months.

12 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L7, Canada
garden.jpg
49 Borland St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1P9 Canada

The Potato House Project is a community initiative to celebrate one of the last standing downtown heritage houses of Williams Lake.

Purchased in May 2011, the Potato House is now held by the “Potato House Sustainable Community Society” – a not for profit organization.

Our purposes are to carry out activities that inspire self-sufficiency and a smaller ecological footprint and to operate a high-profile drop-in centre and garden space for the educational benefit of citizens.

creativehands.jpg
90 4th Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2C6 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2011
Funded by: Cariboo Central Arts and Culture Society and BC’s Community Tourism Opportunities program via the Cariboo Coast Tourism Association, and with the support of the Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake

About:

This is a mural where you can find new hidden details each time you look. Notice the sky is a river, look for where the water runs backward, find the impossible angles. There are hands throughout the design, creative hands holding and gasping and building. The large silhouette figure is abstract to portray an idea coming into the world, cradled by an artist’s hands. This mural shows ideas becoming art. It celebrates how an artist’s hands birth ideas that transcend the physical world.

Artistic Notes:

This mural was created using Dwayne’s usual method. He designs the image, then puts the image over a photo of the wall on his computer, then puts a graph on the actual wall and blocks in the design using the graph. However, Dwayne and Steven soon went “off book” with this creative process. An error during graphing made the main figure in silhouette far larger than intended. Happy with the effect of the error, the artists found themselves inspired to add faces in the cloud, include hidden animals, and delight in painting details that can only exist in an imagined world. Dwayne worked with his son Steven on this mural. The wording on the mural’s commemoration plaque is written by Steven.

Mural Hockey3.jpg
525 Proctor St, Williams Lake, BC, Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2018
Funder: City of Williams Lake

About:

This display is made up of three murals located in the foyer of the Cariboo Memorial Arena Complex.  Each mural celebrates the rich hockey history of our area, and the importance of sports to building a healthy community. The three teams depicted; Alkali Lake Braves – circa 1931, the Williams Lake Stampeders – circa 1961, and the Williams lake Mustangs – circa 1982, were selected for both their accomplishments, as well as their time frame between them to show how long of a time hockey has been played in the area. Many of the players were imported in and have stayed on and have become important leaders and businessmen in the community.

Artistic Notes:

Painting so many faces together proved to be a challenge. One of the most intriguing parts were to get the head sizes for every one correct. One does not realize that the people in the back row will be just a tiny bit smaller than in the front. One size does not fit all!

60 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L6, Canada
sun.jpg
109 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L9 Canada
thebranding.jpg
102 3rd Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2007
Funded by: Communities in Bloom, City Vacuum, Paint Depot, City of Wiliams Lake in recognition of Doug and Floris Martineau

About:

Communities in Bloom asked Dwayne to paint a ranch scene, and he wanted to depict an old-fashioned branding. Dwayne painted from photos he’d taken years ago at a Dorsey Ranch branding. The scene reminds him of Texas Fosbery’s Ranch, by Lee’s Corner out west, a place Dwayne spent a lot of time as a child. Dwayne says if it weren’t for his first horse Knothead, an $85 gift from his father, he would have been a cowboy. Fortunately for us, Knothead lived up to his name and Dwayne got so frustrated with the horse that he chose a career in the arts instead. Dwayne says these days only the small ranches brand like this and that, for the most part, the whole branding culture is gone. The modern ranches tag their cattle on the ear. This ranch scene is inspired by the Dorsey Ranch by Anahim Lake in Tsilhqot’in territory “out west” along highway 20. An old fashioned “branding” is taking place, where cowboys heat the branding irons in the fire and seer the cattle in the spring. The boy sitting on the back of the truck is Dwayne as a child, enjoying the company of a ranch hand he remembers that always found time to play guitar and tell stories when there was fencing work to be done.

Artistic Notes:

The texture and shape of the wall dictated the mural design. On the left where the wall is high subjects are close to life-sized. On the right, where the wall is shorter, subjects are receding into the distance. Dwayne and Steven spent a lot of time painting the ranch’s ground, working to achieve the illusion of it falling back. The wall had been freshly stuccoed which made painting in textures quite challenging. Dwayne’s son Steven helped by painting the trees and the ground.

19086679_web1_IMG_4050.jpg
327 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC, Canada

Artists: Tiffany Jorgensen & Sarah Sigurdson
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake – Rural Dividend Grant 2019 

About:
This is a fun interactive mural. Not only is it a fantastic photo op for the community, but it is also a great conversation piece that encourages viewers of all ages to use their imagination and play.
Artistic Notes:
We love reviewing photos of people taking these animals for a walk with their leashes.
71 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L6, Canada
sun.jpg
800 Mackenzie Ave. S, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2V2 Canada

The Stampede Park is home to the world famous Williams Lake Stampede.

A focal point of the community, the Stampede Park contains the rodeo grounds and grandstand, an indoor riding arena, equestrian race track, cattle penning arena and stables.

cattailtrail.jpg
179 3rd Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A5 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2003
Funded by: Communities in Bloom with special thanks to City of Williams Lake, Rotary of Williams Lake, Canadian Tire (WL), Kal Tire, Tire Craft, Big O, Bee Jay’s Towing, Big B Tire, OK Tire, Fountain Tire and Sam’s Restaurant

About:

Communities in Bloom had just opened the River Valley Trail. Dwayne wanted to bring an image of the trail to downtown. He found a beautiful spot, photographed it thoroughly, and then painted it as accurately as he could. You can look for the exact spot on the trail by entering at the Mackenzie access point, and then turning left (south) on the trail. Passerby, Ralph Heitman, suggested to Dwayne that he should paint a deer in the bushes. Dwayne did so, and also added a fawn. Now, over a decade later, trees have grown up in front of the painted deer and fawn. You can still peek through and see them – which Dwayne invites school kids to do when he takes classes on mural tours. The mural depicts a specific spot on the River Valley Trail, a 12km pedestrian and biking path that runs from Williams Lake to the Fraser River.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne says this mural is all about light, the light of an single moment in time. This is his most nature-focussed mural and he has used an impressionist style. Dwayne painted this one all on his own.

Whales Mural 2020-min.jpg
397 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3, Canada

Artists: Brittany Murphy, Jazmyn Lyons, Mandee Beaulieu, Tiffany Jorgensen and Sarah Sigurdson – 2020
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake BIA, Williams Lake Indian Band & Williams Lake & District Credit Union 

About:
The Cariboo has been through so many unprecedented events in the last few years: the fires, the floods, and the pandemic. Our grit, resilience, and strong community spirit should be celebrated and remembered. To commemorate the events, we proposed to paint a burned forest. Amongst the tall dark trees there is a small green tree growing – and almost glowing – representing hope and new life. Throughout the trees and high into the sky, there are flying whales representing how we rose up as a community and thought outside the box, discovering new ways to thrive and still hold on to who we are. The whales are all different species to show our diverse population.
Above and throughout the whales are floating balloons. They can represent lots of things for lots of people. Fears floating away, the floods in 150 Mile House, maybe relief for the fires below. The entire mural is backed by a sunrise representative of a new day and, again, hope.
As strong as our community is, we all share some trauma from the events. Our hope is that people can pull something meaningful from it for themselves as we continue to heal and move forward together – knowing we can handle anything.
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life.” – Nina Simone
Artistic Notes:
A note from Downtown Williams Lake and the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society: Did you know that Cariboo trees help feed the whales?  It’s true!  The endangered southern resident orca diet consists almost exclusively of salmon, so healthy spawning runs are critical to their survival.  To reproduce, salmon make the long, one-way trip upstream where they will spawn, die, and decompose, releasing things like phosphorus and nitrogen from their bodies into the rivers – nutrients collected during their time feeding in the ocean.  These nutrients are absorbed by shoreline trees allowing them to grow and thrive.  In return, their leaves, branches, roots, and fallen logs provide the shade, shelter, and food the young salmon need to thrive.  This next generation of salmon then return to the ocean where they will become food for the orcas.  These saltwater and freshwater ecosystems need each other, and the salmon make it happen.
17 1 Ave S, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1H4, Canada
calendar.jpg
178 Oliver Street, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L8 Canada
250-296-9197250-296-9197
kucwelcken.jpg
110 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L8 Canada

Artist: Al-Lisa Tresierra McKay, 2018 – with support from Davis Arts
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake/City of Williams Lake

About:

This mural depicts how all life comes from great mystery and then goes back into great mystery. Spirit must be honoured to keep the balance of life and tangible form. So many are disconnected from our true connection to spirit and the natural world. This mural is a prayer for the town to be in balance. This mural combines First Nations culture with the feminine spirit and the importance of salmon, the sun, and animals of the region.

Artistic Notes:

Kucwelcken means Backbone in Secwepemc language. When Al-Lisa was invited to paint this mural, she prayed for a vision to help guide her art. She knew she wanted to honour the First Nations, the feminine, and the salmon. The prayer that came through did so in slow drops and stages. It began with the river mother, the salmon, the sun, and then the animals. Al-Lisa painted gold symbols around the spiral in the sun. It is interesting because the metalic paint is olive green without direct sunlight, some angles make it seem as though it is invisible and when the sun is directly across, the whole painted sun glows shimmering gold. Al-Lisa Tresierra McKay of Miss White Spider Arts designed this mural. She had the help of Dwayne Davis and Dwayne’s son Steven to help her put her “little painting on a very big wall”.

Wave mural 2019.jpg
29D 3rd Ave S, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1J1, Canada

Artists: Tiffany Jorgensen and Sarah Sigurdson – 2019
Funded by: Downtown Williams Lake BIA and The City of Williams Lake 

About:
This mural is a wonderful representation of our creative and bright community.  It will portray the forces of nature and ‘change’ while providing the spectator with a creative and interesting outlook and varied perception.
Artistic Notes:
The shape of a woman filled in with a universe is pushing a massive wave. We hope that people see strength and how powerful creativity can be.
71 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L6, Canada
tree.jpg
700 Borland St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N1, Canada
scarf.jpg
800 Mackenzie Ave. S, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2V2 Canada

The Williams Lake Curling Club is a not-for-profit society that has been around since 1947.

foxmountain.jpg
1763-1747 Ross Rd, Williams Lake, BC V2G 5B3, Canada

This is the longest standing trail network in Williams Lake and is host to some of the most stunning scenery in the Cariboo. The network has 28 trails totalling over 45Km of single track riding. The network is 28% beginner, 37% intermediate and 40% advanced. All trails can be accessed via a nice climb up Jimmy’s Fox or by shuttling up Fox mountain road. There are three trailheads on the network, all of which has a large kiosk with maps and other information about the trails.

20201202_133301-min.jpg
525 Proctor Street, Williams Lake, BC, Canada

Artists: Tiffany Jorgensen and Sarah Sigurdson
Funded by: Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex

About:
We have been involved and spectated all events at our complex and feel the excitement and most of all the dedication and time the families and athletes put into their sports.  Parents of very young children bring their kids to parent/tot skating and as they grow, they spend hours and early mornings every week at practices and tournaments, fundraise to support their children, and give them all the opportunities they can to have fun, broaden their skills, and succeed.
The excitement watching or participating in hockey games, figure skating competitions, and speed skating has an electrifying feel.  We attempted to portray all these vibes into a long, colourful mural emanating the action, dedication, and support from hockey, figure skating, speed skating, and recreational athletes, their families, and fans.  This ice rink mural is a new perspective and we hope it resonates with everyone who steps into the area.
Artistic Notes:
Bright lights backlighting an action packed hockey game span into gracefully beautiful figure skating competitors, then the quiet, pulsating strength of a speed skating race.
A close up of a parent lacing up their child’s figure skates, a coach’s legs and skates playing hockey with a child. Also the cheering hands of a crowd watching a sporting event.
In the background there pans the blurry crowd of a packed arena with spotlights on fans, parents, and individuals who make the magic possible.
We have also included our local star Carey Price to show where you can go if you dream big and work hard.
138 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1, Canada
shoe.jpg
204 1st Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1Y9 Canada

We have Bowling Leagues for all ages,

bowling birthday parties,

friends and family bowling,

groups and fundraising events,

and our ever popular “Cosmic Bowling”

thetribunemural.jpg
188 1st Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1Y8 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2004
Funded by: The Williams Lake Tribune

About:

Clive and Irene Stangoe purchased Williams Lake The Tribune from George Renner in 1950 and published the paper for the next two decades from the lower floor of their home situated on Oliver Street. Clive was the publisher and Irene was the community editor. In 1973 The Black family bought The Tribune and moved it to its current location on 1st Ave. North. The Williams Lake Tribune was the first paper purchased by the now huge community newspaper chain Black Press. The cowboy silhouette is from the Tribune Paper’s logo. The Tribune wanted its original location, the Stangoe home, painted in the mural along with cows to symbolize Williams Lake’s western culture. Dwayne pulled the 75th issue of the paper and combined the real content of that issue with his made-up story about Communities in Bloom – a tip-of-the-hat to the organization that initiated the mural program.

Artistic Notes:

The first challenge with this wall was the vent that spewed out black residue. Dwayne decided to cover the vent with the dark figure in silhouette. His next challenge was to make the mural both nostalgic and modern. He achieved this by painting the old Tribune building in a realistic style, and painting a larger-than-life paper sporting a 3D page curl. Dwayne had help from his son Steven who painted the cows, trees, and the silhouette.

westsyde.jpg
645 MacKenzie Ave N Unit A, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N9, Canada
119860602_10157311619696338_1825247811093911024_o.jpg
665 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M9

Artist: Dwayne Davis & Steven Davis-Gosling
Made Possible by: Dan and Vivian Simons, Spectre Automotive, City of Williams Lake, plus individuals and community groups. (The most prominent of these are acknowledged in a plaque dedicated to the mural.)

About:

(From Dwayne Davis, artist) The mural’s purpose is to show the moose that reside in our area, and to bring awareness to their environmental needs to help keep a healthy and strong population for future generations to enjoy.

The project was originally the brainchild of Kane Fraser. He mentioned to Dan Simons that the wall on the building would make a great spot for Dan to have a mural. Dan in turn asked me at Davis Arts to come up with a concept and a quote. I made a concept package that Dan took around. The original design for the wall was laid out with more sky and smaller sized moose, to help to limit the cost of the project. I was asked by Scott Nelson to make the moose more prominent in the design … “Go big or go home!” So I changed the layout to the design that became the framework of the now finished mural.

Artistic Notes:

Painted mostly in acrylic exterior house paints, the 22 X 55 foot Cow Moose mural was painted over 25 days.

 

138 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1, Canada
soccer.jpg
525 Proctor St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1 Canada
fourindustries.jpg
92 2nd Ave. N., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2003
Funded by: Communities in Bloom, City of Williams Lake

About:

Communities in Bloom (CIB) asked Dwayne for a mural of local industry. Dwayne chose the four industries depicted, and CIB approved his design. The cowboy and the horse are not based on specific individuals to give a timeless and universal feel to the figures. End of the Roll had just moved into the building and they were happy to see the mural going up. The mural depicts Williams Lake’s four industries, from left to right: Ranching, tourism/rodeo, logging and mining.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne’s challenge was to combine such different scenes into a single congruous work. He wanted to give each industry its own space and tie them into a shared experience, a goal and a challenge that faces Williams Lake’s diverse community. To achieve his goal, Dwayne focused on areas of colour, thinking in blocks and shapes rather than image details. The rider and horse figure work as a separation between our oldest industry on the left, and our two more modern industries on the right, the cowboy embodying the courage and resilience that has pulled our community through the ups and downs that come with a natural resource-based economy. Dwayne had some help with the cows from his son Steven.

SouthLakeSide.jpeg
1153 S Lakeside Dr, Williams Lake, BC V2G 3A7, Canada
Re tsitcw-emp … home.jpg
327 Oliver Street, Williams Lake, BC, Canada

Re tsitcw-emp … home. Not just a dwelling, not just a location. Home is safety. Love. Family.

We are proud to present this beautiful Downtown Williams Lake mural, painted by the very talented Al-Lisa McKay of Miss White Spider Arts. A mother’s arms protect and shelter, giving peace and security despite the pull of the wind. The colours in the mother’s dress represent wisdom and bravery, and the red dress of the daughter represents courage. This mural glows in the afternoon sun and adds such warmth and beauty to our building.

We want to thank Al-Lisa for bringing this vision to life, and also thank Williams Lake First Nation for giving their guidance and blessing to the project. The mural is a recognition of the past, a tribute to the journey that has taken place, and a hope for healing to continue in the future.

220 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1, Canada
scarf.jpg
525 Proctor St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1 Canada
crosinamural.jpg
171 Oliver St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1L9 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2015
Funded by: Crosina Family, Downtown Williams Lake BIA, City of Williams Lake, Cariboo Regional District

About:

The mural is on the wall of a building owned by Louis James Crosina and Clara Anna Noble’s great-granddaughter, Anita Crosina. This was a fun mural to paint because many people stopped by to tell Dwayne and Steven their memories of the Crosina family and of that era of local history. Back in 1963 Lil died unexpectedly of a heart attack while working in the 153 mile store, after which the door was locked and was never re-opened. The store has remained undisturbed, just as Lil left it, and is now a time capsule and a treasure for historians. There is a plan to move the 153 mile store and contents to downtown Williams Lake where it can be enjoyed by the public. Louis and Clara Crosina (1800’s) beside their only daughter Lil Crosina’s portrait and their one of their three son’s with his horse and dog. Also depicted are the Crosina family’s 153 mile store (1904 -1963), roadhouse and ranch.

Artistic Notes:

Dwayne used the three windows in the building to separate the mural into scenes spanning time and place. Sepia tones set the mural in the deep past. The scenes are so compelling the viewer has the experience of not seeing the windows at all. The texture of the wall itself was a challenge for the muralist. It is bumpy, deep and porous stucco and it soaked up a lot of paint. Dwayne used caulking to smooth out sections were detail was needed, and some of those areas now come out further than other parts of the wall. Dwayne’s son Steven helped paint this mural.

desous.jpg
Unnamed Road, 150 Mile House, BC V0K 2G0, Canada

Desous is a half hour drive west of Williams Lake and is home to some truly amazing free riding. Descents of 3,500 feet from the top of Desous Mountain all the way to the Fraser River make this home to some of the biggest lines this side of Golden. This area is intended for advanced riders, as there is no real easy way down. If you’re looking for big lines, this is where it’s at!

Boitanio Park, Borland St. &, 7 Ave N, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N1, Canada
235 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M1, Canada
calendar.jpg
525 Proctor St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1 Canada

The Gibraltar Room is a multi-purpose room located in the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. This room, frequently rented for weddings, conferences, meeting, films, concerts and lectures, can be set up theatre or banquet style and is available for rent.

thegarage.jpg
113 Yorston St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1G6, Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2017
Funded by: Owners of Lake City Glass

About:

This mural was a birthday gift from Sheila Mortensen to her husband Chester on his 73rd birthday. “What do you get the man who has everything?” asks Sheila. Well, a mural of course! The couple started their glass business in a garage on 1st avenue back in 1972 when they first moved to Williams Lake. In 1985 they moved their business to their current location. A 1972 garage featuring co-owner of Lake City Glass Chester Mortensen.

Artistic Notes:

When Dwayne first added Chester’s image to the wall, many locals waved at their long-time friend, and did double-takes at what looks like a new garage entrance. The mural feels very life-like and has fooled many people, causing more than a few chuckles. The stucco surface of the wall had Dwayne painting each area 3 times to fill in the tiny stucco holes. This gives the mural’s lines a slightly blurred edge. Dwayne painted this one on his own.

Bike Park.jpg
525 Proctor St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1, Canada

In August of 2010 the WIlliams Lake Cycling Club, City of Williams Lake and the Cariboo Regional District were proud to open the newly constructed Boitanio Bike Park. Covering over 10 acres, the park is the largest of its kind in the interior of BC. It has 6 major jump lines, pump track, drop zone, flow trails and log work right in the centre of the City. We suggest a run on Fox Mountain (Hillbilly is amazing) then roll down Broadway to the Fox Mountain Brewery, over the bank and you’re in the park. Or just session the park all day while the rest of the family relaxes on the grassy fields of Boitanio Park.

770 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N1, Canada
281 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M2, Canada
book.jpg
180 3rd Ave. N, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4 Canada

The Cariboo Regional District Library is an integrated public library system that currently provides library services to residents of the regional district through fifteen branch libraries.

fishcamp.jpg
99 3rd Ave. S., Williams Lake, BC V2G 1J1 Canada

Artist: Dwayne Davis, 2012
Funded by: Friendship Society, Downtown Williams Lake BIA, City of Williams Lake

About:

Dwayne conducted in-depth research at the local museum, online, and with people at the Friendship Society to make this mural as true to history as possible. Research was difficult as very little of the Secwepemc culture has been recorded. The garments worn by the figures picking berries are considered to be accurate by locals as well as the cedar or birch bark baskets they are holding. Other traditional regalia would have been buck skin and feathers or fur. Dwayne had input from many Elders who confirmed and collaborated on getting the details right, especially with the sweat lodge. Modern sweat lodge structures are much the same today, however, instead of hides tarps and blankets are now used. Dwayne remembers seeing the Tsilhqot’in people himself in the 70’s, scraping hides with a flattened hoe on wooden scaffolding as depicted in this mural. The salmon drying in the mural is laid out in Secwepemc style as opposed to Lillooet style. The end result is like a thin jerky. A local dip net builder made sure Dwayne got the dip net tool painted correctly. Depiction of Secwepemc culture’s day-to-day living before colonization. The scene is set behind the Fraser River by Soda Creek where the current Xatsull Heritage Village site is located. Man in foreground is holding a dip net, a tool for fishing that is still used today by the Secwepemc and Tsilhqot’in First Nations in the Fraser. In the background are drying racks for fish and a sweat lodge made of hides. A woman is scraping a hide as it is stretched out on wooden scaffolding.

Artistic Notes:

The painted mural area leads down into a lower entry space, beckoning the viewer to the bottom stair where they become surrounded by the mural. This was a unique opportunity, to paint outside and still have a surround-styled mural. Dwayne focused on making the corners of the space disappear, while merging the separate scenes into a panoramic whole. Two amateur artists, Miranda Fontaine (staff at Friendship Society) and Jamie Moore (summer student at Downtown Williams Lake BIA) helped to paint this mural.

swimming.jpg
525 Proctor St., Williams Lake, BC V2G 4J1 Canada

Come check out our amazing new facility complete with Leisure Pool, Lap Pool, Slide, Lazy River, Car Wash, Climbing Wall, Teacup, Dry Sauna, Steam Room, and our brand new Fitness Centre.
We have a number of aquatic programs including but not limited to Swimming Lessons, Aquafit, Float Fit (yoga on floating mats int he pool!), Family Swims, Lane Swimming, Tot Swims, Adaptive Swims, Maters Swim, Everyone Welcome Swim, and Fun Days in the Pool.

770 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N1, Canada
299 Oliver St, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1M2, Canada
Showing 75 results