The Land Remembers and The Sky Carries Us

The Land Remembers is a tribute to the living memory carried by the lands and waters of Mississauga. Long before the modern city rose along the shoreline, this place thrived as a landscape of forest, river, and sky, where the cycles of the natural world moved in balance.  

The sun, moon, and stars mark the passage of time, guiding the rhythms of day and season. Birds take flight across the sky, carrying with them teachings of freedom and connection between the earth and the spirit above. The trees stand firmly in the soil, their roots stretching deep below, reminding us of strength and the unseen networks of life that continue beneath the surface, even as the City grows. The river flows steadily, offering sustenance, its waters alive with fish and story. Along the banks, the flowers bloom, carrying both beauty and medicine, showing that healing and life still emerge from the land. Above it all, the skyline rises, a reminder of how the City has grown and continues to change. In the sky, the four sacred colours (yellow, red, black and white) stretch across the sky representing balance, the four directions and the teachings that guide Anishinaabe life.  

Alongside these, the mural carries rich earth tones, deep blues of the river, and vibrant greens and floral hues. This piece speaks to the truth that the land itself remembers. It remembers the forests that once covered the horizon, the waters that have always moved through its valleys, and the lives that have depended on its gifts. Even as the skyline changes, the land continues to hold memory, urging us to pause, reflect, and honour the stories written into the earth. 

If the first mural speaks of memory rooted in the earth, the second turns its gaze upwards to the sky, the messengers, and the pathways of light that guide us forward. 

Above the City, the sun, moon, and stars move in timeless cycles. They are keepers of direction and rhythm, reminding travellers that every journey is part of something larger. Birds, butterflies, or celestial beings appear as messengers which are symbols of migration and transformation. In this mural, soft gradients of blues, purples and gold echo the cycles of the sky, creating a sense of uplift and continuity as commuters move through the space. Where the land remembers, the sky carries us. It holds both the movement of commuters through the terminal and the movement of ancestors whose spirits still travel with us. In the shimmer of wings and the glow of constellations, stories are told of belonging, resilience, and shared passage. This mural creates a sense of uplift within the transit space: a reminder that while our feet move across the City, our spirits are always connected to the cycles of the sky and the guidance of the messengers.  

Together, The Land Remembers and The Sky Carries Us form a visual journey through the City Centre Transit Terminal. One grounds travellers in the enduring memory of the earth, while the other lifts their gaze toward the guidance of the sky. These works are meant to create moments of stillness and connection within a place of constant motion, reminding us that every step we take is held by the land and carried by the sky.