A timely message in vivid colour, hand-painted by Dresden resident Sarah Steele, has been installed on the East side of Total Hair and Body Care downtown Petrolia and will share a message to “Shop, Dine and Discover” Petrolia.
Sarah Steele was one of three artists selected from the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership and Town of Petrolia “Call for Artists” as part of the Downtown Revitalization project funded by a Rural Economic Development Grant in 2023.
The shop, dine and discover message is not a new one for Petrolia, it’s been the rallying cry since 2014 when the Town took on renewed vigor to support the downtown in a time of a large road reconstruction project on Petrolia Line. Just over 10 years later, the statement remains just as important – even more so considering the ongoing messaging from the Petrolia Business Association (PBA) to – Shop Petrolia, Shop Local, and Shop Canadian.
The PBA paid for the mural that will remind all that see it the importance of supporting local whether it be with a meal out, take out, your shopping habits or your choices for entertainment.
Chairperson of the PBA, Denise Thibeault said, “…It’s always been very important to me that people support the businesses in Petrolia. I have enjoyed working with our merchants for several years to accomplish the vitality that we see in our downtown and am pleased to have so much support from the PBA Board and our merchants to continue doing so.”
This is the third of three planned murals for Petrolia’s vibrant downtown, the first being a postcard offering “Greetings from Petrolia” by artist Blaze from Toronto, ON that was completed on the East facing wall of the Red Apple in downtown Petrolia (at the corner of King Street and Petrolia Line) in the spring of 2024. The second, installed mid-March is on display on the South side of the Petrolia Home Hardware building in Downtown Petrolia (at the corner of Petrolia Line and Eureka Street).
“Making Petrolia a destination with walking tours both historic and natural and providing points of interest throughout the downtown was the result of a Downtown Revitalization Study and Committee in 2023. I am pleased to see that we have accomplished the goals from that study and can continue to build on these experiences for both residents and visitors. We are so grateful for this gift from the Petrolia Business Association and the merchants of Petrolia, and to the building owners for sharing their walls with us.” Said Laurissa Ellsworth, Director of Marketing, Arts and Communications for the Town of Petrolia.
