McDonald Park Murals

Your support is needed to put vibrant & educational murals on the change room and washroom buildings

McDonald Park is the heart of our neighbourhood, and over the past few years, the former pool change room and washroom buildings have become a magnet for undesirable activities including drug use, prostitution and vandalism. Our community has a sense of pride and ownership of the park and is not willing to let it be overrun by negative forces.

We would like to maintain the quality of the park as a fun, family friendly place for residents and visitors alike. The beautification of the change room and bathroom buildings through interactive and educational murals will be a positive addition to the park and neighbourhood while also supporting the arts community.

Local mural artist Kelly Wright has been commissioned to design and paint the murals with the theme of Kamloops wildlife and native bees. Kelly's work can be seen on numerous murals downtown and here on his website. 

In order to complete the murals this upcoming September, the McDonald Park Neighbourhood Association is looking for support from fellow Kamloopsians to make this project a reality. We need to raise $20,000 in total for this project. Half of these funds will be raised through grants and corporate sponsorship while the remaining $10,000 will be through online and event fundraisers. This is an entirely community driven initiative and we'd greatly appreciate your support!

Why Murals?

Outdoors murals are proven to:

> Reduce graffiti   > Promote arts   > Attract visitors  > Beautify buildings   > Build community

The City of Victoria has three park washrooms with murals designed by local artists, which have had great results in reducing undesirable activity in parks. 

In Kamloops, we have seen a decline in issues of vandalism and graffiti downtown with the introduction of the Back Alley Walking Gallery. Our intent is to use the same techniques to reduce the elements of crime in our community park.

The Mural Designs

Change Room Building: This mural will showcase various Kamloops animals along with the mighty Thompson Rivers. It will wrap around the building, telling a story of how all the animals and rivers work together. (See header image for a sample of the artwork.)

Washroom Building: This mural will celebrate Kamloops achievement as a “Bee City” and showcase Kamloops’ native bee population and flowers. This will help to promote community understanding of the importance of honeybees and other pollinators in urban areas and tie in with the community gardens at the park. (See design below.)


Both murals will have an interactive component with a smart phone app that will share facts about the animals and ecosystems represented in the designs.

Who We Are

The McDonald Park Neighbourhood Association is a not-for-profit society representing the McDonald Park Neighbourhood. We’re one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Kamloops and are home to a diverse and growing population. Our mission is to build community while promoting and improving livability and quality of life in our neighbourhood. Learn more about us on our Facebook page.