Duane Hicks
The Fort Frances Museum would like help in identifying who painted a mural located in the dining room of the vacant Rainy Lake Hotel.
Museum curator Sherry George and Chief Building Official Travis Rob visited the old hotel last week to see what items may be salvageable as artifacts.
Murals inside the building also were photographed to determine whether an attempt should be made to preserve or re-construct them.
The mural of the mill, located in the Mill Room, likely was painted by H. Strickland (believed to be the late Helen Strickland).
But there is no name on the mural of the Noden Causeway on the wall of the main dining room.
“It looks to us that it was the same artist,” said George.
“They really looked similar.”
This has not been verified, however. A search for information on the Causeway mural has not turned up any clues as to who the artist was, George noted.
George said she would appreciate if anyone could contact her regarding the identity of the artist of the Causeway mural, whether it is Strickland or someone else.
She did do some research on Strickland and found she was a prolific Thunder Bay artist who passed away in 1977.
Strickland studied under the famous “Group of Seven.”
Her work hanged in many buildings in Thunder Bay, with more than 600 paintings sold to individual collectors during her lifetime.
Strickland was passionate about art, and taught painting in Thunder Bay and outlying communities from Schreiber to Atikokan.
She also was the first president of the Northwestern Ontario Art Association, and a charter member of Confederation College and Lakehead University.
Both murals are comprised either of separate panels or are a single painting over several panels.
As to what might happen to the mural panels remains to be seen.
George said they’re investigating their historical significance before any decisions are made.
“Are they worth pursuing?” she mused, adding if it turns out the Causeway artist is someone from the area, it might be worth doing so.
“But the next step then would be how do you get it out of there and preserve it, and that sort of thing,” George added.
It’s unclear for now whether the murals could be removed without damaging them.
A possible alternative could be for a local artist to reproduce them.
Besides the murals, George said she and Rob salvaged a few items, such as a punch bowl and glasses, a sign for one of the rooms, and a few dishes.
“There isn’t much, I tell you,” noted George, adding it’s clear that trespassers have been in the hotel at some point since it closed in 2005.
“Most of the place is an absolute disaster really,” she remarked.
“Things have been pulled down, glass has been smashed, furniture is smashed.
“People have been in there in over the years, although why anybody would want to go in there, I don’t know,” George said.
If you have information about the murals, contact George at 274-7891 or via e-mail at sgeorge@fort-frances.com
