Michael Bublé, Christine Sinclair, Joe Sakic, Michael J. Fox and Carrie Ann Moss are some of the famous Burnaby natives the city may soon honor with a more than 60-metre-long mural near Royal Oak SkyTrain Station.
At their meeting Monday night, city councilors will consider a proposal to create a “Burnaby Wall of Fame Interactive Mural” along what’s currently a graffiti-covered wall at 6976 Palm Ave.
“Created by local mural artists, the Wall of Fame will spotlight Burnaby’s highest talent through mural art combined with cutting edge technology, providing a unique interactive experience in honoring our brightest stars,” reads a staff report on the project.
The report notes that “some of the world’s greatest athletes, performers and artists have called Burnaby home” and proposes the creation of a mural with an augmented reality component that would showcase such individuals.
“While viewing the mural through any mobile device, audiences could experience Christine Sinclair’s World Cup goals, be front row at a Michael Bublé concert, or hear Michael J. Fox talk about moving from Burnaby to Hollywood,” the report suggests.
The mural would also have “an updatable area” dedicated to “rising stars.”
According to the staff report, the cost of the project would be approximately $110,000, with $30,000 of that allocated to the mural preparation and painting and the remaining $80,000 covering the cost of the mural’s digital components.
A detailed breakdown of costs will be created if council approves the project.
The staff report recommends that council approve the project, and also that it create an “ad hoc mural committee” to identify and compile a list of “Burnaby Stars” for potential inclusion in the project.
The report recommends the committee include two councillors, two community members, a youth representative, a member of the city’s Indigenous community and two city staffers.
“The selection committee will develop a list of criteria for eligible ‘Burnaby Stars’ by considering factors such as international achievement, community roots, and upstanding citizenship, amongst other criteria,” the report says.