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U of T, City of Toronto and family members celebrate Terry Fox mural

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Alexander Bacon and Darrell Fox stand in front the newly unveiled mural of Terry Fox on the Rehabilitation Sciences Building on University Avenue (all photos by Lisa Lightbourn)

A new mural depicting Terry Fox outside the 重口味SM鈥檚 Rehabilitation Sciences Building honours the legacy of the Canadian hero and marks the route he took through the city in 1980 during his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research.

A celebration was held Thursday to mark the completion of the project 鈥 a partnership between U of T, the City of Toronto and the , itself part of the  鈥 that towers over University Avenue.

Toronto artists Alexander Bacon, Que Rock and their team of 20 people worked on the eight-storey mural for nearly a year, using 400 cans of spray paint.

鈥淚t's a tremendous honor to work on this mural,鈥 Bacon told U of T News. 鈥淭erry Fox is probably one of the greatest Canadian heroes and I call him a hero because of his courage.鈥

Located on the north side of U of T鈥檚 Rehabilitation Sciences Building, the mural overlooks part of the route Fox took through downtown Toronto on July 11, 1980, before eventually making his way to Nathan Philips Square. An image of a bison recognizes and celebrates Fox鈥檚 M茅tis heritage with the word 鈥渉ope鈥 emblazoned vertically in block letters.

鈥淚 do a lot of murals and I find when you put a big splash of colour into a downtown core where all the buildings are just grays and browns, it stands out more,鈥 said Bacon.

Fox ran 5,373 kilometres with an artificial right leg over 143 days until illness forced him to cut his journey short near Thunder Bay, Ont. 

Darrell Fox, senior adviser to the and Terry鈥檚 younger brother, says it鈥檚 incredible to see the mural completed.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so vibrant, the colours chosen,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t feels like Terry is here and that鈥檚 really impressive.

鈥淭erry wasn't about recognition. His focus was raising money for cancer research. I think he鈥檇 be pretty thankful and proud as much as he鈥檇 prefer to see others who are going through cancer now featured on this mural.鈥

Over the past decade, the Terry Fox Research Institute has provided tens of millions of dollars to support cancer research at the University Health Network and U of T.

鈥淥ur research program is about training future generation of scientists and researchers who will be continue to be inspired by Terry Fox鈥檚 vision of hope through research,鈥 said Luc De Nil, a senior scientist at Toronto Western Research Insititute, associate scientist at SickKids Research Institute and a professor in the department of speech-language pathology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. 鈥淭hank you Terry, Terry鈥檚 family and supporters for believing so much in what we do.

鈥淲e are committed to ensuring that many students, staff and faculty continue to be aware of his incredible story and the mural will be a visual reminder of that.鈥

Ron Saporta, U of T鈥檚 chief operating officer, property services and sustainability, said the project exemplifies the close relationship between the city and the university.

鈥淭he piece is evocative and hopeful,鈥 he said at the event. 鈥淲e are proud that a U of T building dedicated to maximizing the physical function and participation of Canadians is hosting this work.

鈥淓arly on in the selection of the artwork, the advisory committee identified that one of the elements in the mural should be the legacy of hope Terry Fox left for persons with disabilities and their ability to participate and inspire. This mural and its location realize their direction.鈥

University-Rosedale Councillor and U of T alumnus Mike Layton said the mural recognizes the lasting impact Fox has across the city and country, while Fox鈥檚 brother suggested that people will feel inspired when they鈥檙e walking by the artwork.

鈥淭he reality is the Marathon of Hope was 42 years ago, but maybe people will be inspired to read more and find out about the story of an average person who did this remarkable job through hard work and determination,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a message that I think we could all benefit from.鈥

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