Brad, the painter

When Brad Crozier isn’t working—he’s the grocery manager at the Collins Valu-Mart^® in Burk’s Falls, Ont., where he’s been a staff member for 20 years—he’s combining two of his other passions: art and giving back to his community.

A long-time artist, he’s responsible for a new 10 foot-by-10-foot mural that hangs outside the Burk's Falls Towne Theatre on Ontario Street. It depicts the town’s waterfront as it was 100 years ago, when the town was home to a bustling harbour that was a key stop for boats carrying lumber from nearby sawmills.

From start to finish, the mural took about a year to complete—which is about 10 months longer than he thought it would take. “It depicts the way the town looked 100 years ago, and it also represents a year in the life of someone from the town now,” he points out.

Partially, the lengthy process came down to the intimidation factor; Brad tends to do more drawing and sketching, so he was used to working on a smaller scale and with different materials. But planning the painting itself also took time.

“The view in the picture isn't exactly accurate,” he explains. “In reality, the view is a lot wider, so I had to figure out how to condense everything to get it to fit into a square. That was a big challenge. And then I was just trying to make it all flow together and not have too much sky or too much water. It was a big balancing act.”

Art isn’t the only way Brad contributes to the community of Burk’s Falls. He’s also a member of the town’s Downtown Redevelopment Committee, which works to redevelop its downtown strip. The Committee is responsible for installing planters and holiday décor. Brad also works directly with local business owners to help them improve their companies’ curb appeal.

And his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. He was recently named the community’s Local Champion last September, an honour that came with a write-up in the local newspaper.

“That was pretty cool,” he says. “I didn't really expect to be acknowledged in this way!”