Morden Murals
Morden's first historical mural is located on the east side of Olympic Sports at the corner of Stephen and Nelson Streets, the mural is the re-creation of the earliest known photograph taken in this area. The scene depicts the supply train for Her Majesty's British North America Boundary Commission at Dead Horse Creek in June of 1873. The North West Mounted Police, with their 274 mounted officers, a similar number of other personnel, together with 73 wagons, 114 ox-carts, and many spare horses and cattle were at this same location at mid-day of Monday, July 13, 1874.
This mural was commissioned by Morden and District Chamber of Commerce in 1995 to mark Manitoba's 125th Birthday. The original watercolor was painted by local artist, Pamela Yorke-Hardy Smith and the mural was painted by members of the Pembina Hills Art Group.
The second mural on the east side of the ideas etc. building, 7th & Stephen Streets, depicts the occasion when Sir John A. Macdonald stopped at Morden on Wednesday, July 15, 1886.
At Morden, the Prime Minister and his companions were greeted by a large crowd and were presented with a bouquet of prairie flowers by three-year old Philip Locke, son of Corbet Locke, a practicing lawyer and prominent Morden citizen.
As a display to amuse him, Tom Ticknor, a local homesteader, drove up with his team of elk and, attired in garments made of buckskin, gave his version of an Indian War Dance on the station platform.
Local artist Margie Friesen used this historical event as described by Mr. Howard Winkler in "Some Notes About the History of the Area Around Morden in the 19th Century" as the inspiration for this mural.
The third mural located on the north east corner of the Senior Citizen's Friendship and Activity Centre, 306 North Railway Street depicts the original uniform of the North West Mounted Police, 1874. A short history of the force now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is outlined.