Canatara Park Lifeguard Station Mural
Canatara Park Lifeguard Station Mural
The Canatara Park Lifeguard Station Mural is a vibrant community-led public art project that transformed an aging waterfront building into a landmark celebrating the beauty of one of Sarnia’s most cherished parks.
Designed by local artist Emily Wright and selected through a public vote, the mural celebrates Lake Huron sunsets, native wildflowers, and the unique character of Canatara Park.
More than a beautiful piece of public art, the project demonstrates what is possible when residents, businesses, organizations, and volunteers come together around a shared vision to improve the places they love. Rather than waiting for the building to be replaced as part of a future park redevelopment, the community chose to take action today, extending the life of the structure while creating a welcoming destination for residents and visitors alike.
Artist: Emily Wright
Location: Canatara Park Lifeguard Station
Completed: June 2026
About the Artwork: "Canatara at Sunset"
The mural, Canatara at Sunset, captures the colours, landscapes, and biodiversity that make Canatara Park one of Sarnia’s most treasured natural spaces.
Flowing across all sides of the lifeguard station, the artwork features a Lake Huron sunset framed by native wildflowers found throughout the park, including Black-eyed Susan, Prairie Smoke, Wild Geranium, and Blue Phlox. Together, these elements celebrate the beauty of the local landscape while encouraging visitors to appreciate the unique environment that surrounds them. The artwork also pays tribute to Maud Hanna, whose dedication helped preserve Canatara Park for generations to enjoy.
Selected by the community through a public vote, Emily Wright’s design reflects the collective vision of residents who wanted this project to become a vibrant symbol of community pride.
A Community-Led Transformation
The Canatara Park Lifeguard Station Mural is about more than revitalizing a building. It represents a different way of thinking about city-building.
With Canatara Park currently undergoing a long-term master planning process, replacing the aging lifeguard station was not an immediate possibility. Rather than waiting years for change, nuSarnia saw an opportunity to work alongside the community to create something meaningful today. This project demonstrates that positive change doesn’t always require large-scale redevelopment. Sometimes, it begins with neighbours, businesses, artists, volunteers, and organizations choosing to invest in the places they share. Together, we’ve transformed an overlooked structure into a vibrant public space that inspires connection, civic pride, and a stronger sense of place.
We hope this project encourages others to look at their own neighbourhoods and ask a simple question: If you see something that could be better, how can you help make it happen?
Behind the Project: Project Timeline
Project Approved by City Council
nuSarnia presented the Canatara Park Lifeguard Station Mural proposal to Sarnia City Council. Council approved the project, granting permission to transform the aging lifeguard station into a vibrant community landmark.
Community Artist Call Opens
Local artists were invited to submit mural concepts inspired by Canatara Park. The goal was to create a design that reflected the beauty, history, and character of one of Sarnia’s most cherished public spaces.
Public Voting Begins
Working in partnership with the City of Sarnia, nuSarnia launched a public vote through Speak Up Sarnia. Residents were invited to review the finalist mural concepts and help select the artwork that would transform the lifeguard station.
Community Selects Winning Design
After thousands of community votes, Emily Wright’s mural concept, Canatara at Sunset, was selected as the winning design and moved into detailed planning and production.
Installation Training
The nuSarnia team completed hands-on training with Sol Raya Public Spaces on the installation of mural cloth technology. Through this partnership, nuSarnia became the first organization in Canada, to our knowledge, trained to install this innovative mural system independently.
Mural Installation
Over several weeks, the nuSarnia team installed the mural cloth, transforming the Canatara Park Lifeguard Station into a vibrant waterfront landmark celebrating the natural beauty of Sarnia.
Celebrating a Community Achievement
Project partners, donors, volunteers, the artist, and supporters gathered for a ribbon-cutting celebration recognizing the completion of the mural and the community collaboration that made the project possible.
Now Part of Canatara Park
The mural is now open for everyone to enjoy, creating a new destination for residents and visitors while inspiring future community-led placemaking projects.
Made possible by:
