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Public asked to help choose among five Terry Fox murals

The grey line of towers along University Avenue are about to get some colourful larger-than-life artwork to commemorate Terry Fox’s run through Toronto 41 years ago.

The public is being asked to provide feedback on five murals of the Canadian hero that have been proposed for the side of the University of Toronto’s Rehabilitation Sciences Building at 500 University Ave.

The artwork is to be selected by a committee including members of the Fox family that will review the submissions and the public feedback.

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It will cover as much as eight storeys on the north side of the building, overlooking the route Terry Fox took on July 11, 1980 — Day 90 of his Marathon of Hope.

Fox ran along University Avenue en route to Nathan Phillips Square here he was greeted by thousands of cheering people supporting his efforts raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

Terry Fox mural shown in situ
HOW IT MIGHT LOOK: Artist’s rendering places colourful mural on University Avenue.

“It is tremendously exciting for residents of University-Rosedale [ward] to know that, one day soon, there will be painted a monumental mural along the historic route down University Avenue that Terry Fox ran during his Marathon of Hope,”  local councillor Mike Layton said in a city press release Oct. 16. “It will celebrate the lasting impact he left on our community.”

The mural is a project of the city’s StreetARToronto (StART) program, partnering with U of T and The Legacy Art Project.

Five Toronto mural and graffiti artists or teams of artists, were invited to submit mural designs after a competitive process. Following the final selection the mural is to be painted in the summer of 2022.

Note, the images on this page show only part of the artwork proposals under consideration.

Five Terry Fox murals
TOUGH CHOICE: Segments are shown for murals designed by, from left, Christiano De Araujo; Keitha Keeshig and Tobias Biziindam; Emmanuel Jarus; Alexander Bacon and Que Rock; and Jason Pinney.

To view the full concepts and share your feedback until the end of October, see the city’s survey page.

Mayor John Tory said each of the five murals would be appropriate.

“Terry Fox’s legacy as a role model is everlasting and whichever mural is selected will be a fitting tribute in Toronto to the legacy of a great Canadian,” he said. “I look forward to seeing the completed mural … next summer.”