Skip to content

Harrison screw pumps inspire Okanagan art

Two-storey mural stands in downtown Kelowna
22486489_web1_200827-AHO-HHSMural-Salmon_1
UBCO students painted this two-storey salmon mural in Kelowna near the CTQ Consultants building. The Miami River Flood Pump Station project in Harrison Hot Springs inspired this work of art. (Contributed Photo/CTQ)

A work of environmental stewardship in Harrison inspired a work of art in Kelowna.

Visual arts students from UBC Okanagan (UBCO) collaborated during a five-week course in the summer to create a colourful, two-storey mural in the heart of Kelowna as inspired by the Archimedes srew pumps in Harrison Hot Springs. The mural, depicting a massive salmon coloured shades of white, red, yellow and blue, is part of a larger downtown beautification project in the Okanagan.

The five-week class ran between July and August, and the salmon mural is located adjacent to the CTQ Consultants building on St. Paul Street in Kelowna. CTQ has had a hand in a number of proposed projects for Harrison Hot Springs, including the Miai River Flood Pump Station and a master plan for the lagoon.

CTQ Consultants founding partner Matt Cameron reflected on the Archimedes screw pump project in a recent statement, calling the project “One of our highlights and challendges that turned into an amazing project at Harrison Hot Springs.”

RELATED: Flood pumps part of local flood mitigation tactics

The screw pumps were part of a flood mitigation effort along the Miami River in Harrison Hot Springs, installed in 2016. These new pumps replaced the 60-year-old model that previously took a serious toll on the fish population. Now, thanks to the new design, the, $1.9 million, screw-like transporation system allows fish to pass much more safely safely from the river to the lake in addition to more efficiently mitigating possible flooding. The mortality rate of fish going through the old pump system was once 100 per cent; with the new system in place, it’s plummeted to about two per cent. The pump was painted a fish-friendly canary yellow, echoed in parts of the Kelowna mural.

“This collaboration with UBCO and CTQ, combined with the hard work of many individuals, has given the students an opportunity to create their masterpiece in our parking lot on the north facing wall at CTQ’s Kelowna office. This is a great addition and our entire team is proud to have been a part of cheering up the downtown core,” Cameron said in a statement.

David Doody, a UBCO alumnus, is a visual arts director and member of the Uptown Rutland Business Association.

RELATED: Village earns merit award for Miami Flood Pump Station

“The uptown mural project grew out of desire to bring more art to public places,” Doody said in a statement. “By creating exciting and energetic works of public art, we are transforming our communities into dynamic open-air art galleries.”

Doody guided UBCO students through the mural-making process, from pitching to planning and finally, delivery.

“UBC’s department of Creative Studies partnered with CTQ Consultants to create this exciting new art education experience for BFA students,” Doody said. “This course gave students an experience common to painting murals including the use of projectors, mechanical lifts, and a variety of paint applications and techniques.”

To learn more about the mural project, visit www.uptownmurals.com.