Ottawa’s Sparks Street to Feature 13 Large-Scale Murals Inspired by Canada’s Provinces and Territories

A new public art installation is being added to Sparks Street, with artists set to paint a series of ground murals throughout June.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The project, called Canadiana Block, will run along the centre of Sparks Street between Kent Street and Lyon Street. It will feature 13 large-scale landscape murals, each representing one of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The murals are expected to be unveiled in time for Canada Day. While the work is underway, pedestrians will still have free access to businesses along Sparks Street and will be able to watch the artists paint.

Each artwork will be installed on a concrete strip measuring 6.5 feet by 19 feet, or two metres by 5.8 metres. Together, the pieces are meant to reflect the range of Canada’s landscapes and natural environments.

The project follows a Canada-wide expression of interest issued last fall by the City of Ottawa in collaboration with the Downtown Business Improvement Area. A jury reviewed 28 submissions before awarding the commission to artists Dan Bergeron and Gabriel Specter for their proposal, Coast to Coast to Coast.

The City says the Canadiana Block is part of its ongoing work to improve and animate public spaces downtown. Temporary installations like this one are also being used to test new ideas, explore different techniques and bring public art to wider audiences.

Sparks Street was selected because of its location near Parliament Hill and its role as a pedestrian connection to historic Lebreton Flats and the Ādisōke Library.

The Canadiana Block will remain in place until the end of August 2027.