ELK POINT — It’s been part of Elk Point for almost 40 years and, for some of us, pretty much our whole lives.

Oddly, I remember when the Elk Point Historical Mural was completed, but that would’ve only made me 3 (perhaps a false memory). I do remember walking past it, guessing who the people were and, sometimes, actually knowing.

Like, I’m fairly certain our family’s good friend Sue is featured in there. I also like to pretend I’m one of the figure skating girls in the recreation montage. I am not.

As for whether any of my family members modelled for it, if they did, it has been a very well-kept secret.

That’s part of what makes this mural so interesting. These aren’t just scenes depicting Elk Point’s history. Real people from this community are painted into them, and nearly four decades later, some of those names need to be rediscovered.

Now, with the mural’s 40th anniversary coming up in 2027, original artist Billie Milholland is getting ready to give it some much-needed love.

“MURAL NEEDS A FACELIFT!” Milholland recently declared.

“We can’t have it celebrating a 40th birthday looking like this!”

She’s right.

A five-phase facelift

Milholland told Mayor Wanda Cochrane she got a particularly good look at the mural’s condition while giving the Communities in Bloom judges a tour this summer.

What she saw convinced her it was time.

Milholland and John have since developed a five-phase restoration plan that would remove the mural panels and take them indoors for work through the winter.

The project will address deterioration to the panels and framing, touch up the artwork and eventually add a protective coating before the mural is reinstalled. Milholland noted the frames have deteriorated enough that replacing them may be more practical and less expensive than trying to restore them.

The project came before Elk Point council at its Aug. 24 meeting, where council approved having Town Public Works assist with removing the mural panels for restoration.

Organizers will also need a large indoor space to work on the panels through the winter, along with volunteers, sponsors and fundraising support.

Council heard there is already interest.

“People were reaching out saying, ‘Oh, I’d love to help with that,’” council heard during the discussion.

The goal is to have the mural restored and ready for an unveiling around Canada Day 2027, marking its 40th anniversary.

Now, about those faces

This might be my favourite part.

When Milholland painted the mural almost 40 years ago, there were no spreadsheets, cloud backups or phones full of photos documenting the process.

There were school scribblers.

“I kept track of materials used, progress made and the names of people I painted in 4 or 5 school scribblers,” Milholland said.

Unfortunately, the one everyone could really use right now didn’t survive.

“The little blue scribbler with all the names is the one that is missing and presumed drowned in a wet basement several moves ago.”

Milholland remembers about half of the people she painted, but she is asking Elk Point residents to help identify the others, particularly the people featured in the large parade.

So, this is where those longtime Elk Point memories come in.

If you recognize a relative, neighbour, friend or familiar face, Billie wants to hear from you.

This time, she wants those names documented in a mural guide, along with interesting information about the people and scenes depicted.

And 40 years later, that may be just as important as restoring the paint.

The mural could tell a little more of Elk Point’s story

Milholland is also looking at ways the mural could better tell the community’s history as part of the restoration.

In the information provided to council, she said she would like to add to the first panel and add the names of other important Indigenous and Métis leaders from that era to the other two panels.

She planned to connect with Audrey Poitras and potentially elders at Fishing Lake and Kehewin as part of that work.

That makes this more than a facelift.

The mural has spent nearly 40 years telling Elk Point’s story. This is a chance to preserve what’s already there, fill in some of the names that have been lost along the way and make sure the story it tells is as complete as possible.

For those of us who grew up with it, it’s strange to think it’s almost 40.

It has just always been there.

Hopefully, by Canada Day next year, it will be back where it belongs, restored and ready for another generation in The Right Place to Be.

And Billie, since you’ll already have the paint out and you’re considering some additions, perhaps there’s room for one more familiar Elk Point face.

Surely we can convince Doug “The Sportshound” Bassett to pose.

Forty years later, there are still a few Elk Point stories worth adding to the wall.