Central Neighbourhood House Mural

In 2024, the community voted to provide $50,000 in s37 Community Benefit through Participatory Budgeting to beautify a community landmark.

The original plan was to bring a brand-new mural to the west-facing wall of 237 Gerrard Street East. That wall has long been covered in layers of paint and persistent graffiti, and the goal was to transform it into something the whole neighbourhood could be proud of.

However, after working through some complications with that location, the project is moving to a new — and equally exciting — home: Central Neighbourhood House at 349 Ontario Street.

The north-facing (side) wall and east-facing (back) wall of Central Neighbourhood House currently has a mural, but it's been there for many years and is ready for a refresh. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the changes and growth this community has seen. And the best part? Residents get to help shape what goes up on that wall. You'll have a say in the art style, the theme, and the artist. This is your community — this mural should reflect that.

Background

At the southeast corner of Gerrard and Ontario Streets stands one of the most recognizable heritage buildings in our neighbourhood. Previous attempts to bring a mural to this site faced heritage challenges.

We've made meaningful progress since then, but have decided to move this project to a new location which also needs love: Central Neighbourhood House at 349 Ontario Street. This is a site that residents have also been requesting a new mural for a long time. That time is finally here.

Funding

This project is funded through Section 37 Community Benefit Funds, with a total budget of $50,000 covering materials and labour.

Timeline

March 10 – May 11, 2026 — Community consultation rounds to gather resident input on themes and ideas. Fill out the survey to let us know which wall and theme you prefer!
Early May 2026 — A shortlist of artists and their concept designs will be shared publicly
June – July 2026 — Installation of the mural artwork
Summer 2026 — Project completion

Get Involved

Your voice matters in shaping what this mural looks like. STEPS will be sending out a public survey to collect ideas and themes for potential artwork — we encourage every resident to participate and share what this corner means to them.

A shortlist of artists and their concept art will be shared in early May 2026, giving the community a chance to see the vision before it's finalized.

Project ID: PB2024-EDC-EDC-530

Council Approved!

Fill Out The Mural Survey