Daring Moments 60/150

It was a warm day in Montreal and even though it was a Thursday; people were already out in droves on a closed St. Laurent street. This was because of Mural Festival, an event that can be likened to a live art show. As you walk through the crowds and the sidewalk vendors, you will spot local artists painting on the side of the buildings that tower over the street.

Cadillac Canada has tapped Montreal artist, Fluke, to be one of the 150 artists, designers, and inventors to be a part of their “Daring Moments” campaign. Together, they will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and showcase the daring stories that have defined the country. During Mural Fest, Fluke will be creating a mural paying tribute baseball player Jackie Robinson, who played for the Montreal Royals in 1946. Before moving to the city, Mr. Robinson had faced endless discrimination in the United States, due to the fact he was a black baseball player. However, in Montreal he was a fan-favourite and he was praised for his talent and work ethic. That same year, Mr. Robinson’s triumph culminated in the final game of Little World Series. With chants of “We want Robinson” raining down from the stands, he scored the final run and led the Royals to the championship. Montreal has been recognized by the famed baseball player as “the city that enabled me to go to the major leagues.” Subsequently, Jackie Robinson was the first African-American player to break professional baseball’s colour barrier and that changed the game forever.

For the past few days, Fluke has been working on a mural that will serve as a tribute to Mr. Robinson and it will be unveiled on Sunday, June 18th. You can find the artwork on the corner of St-Laurent and Napoléon.

The first 250 visitors will be gifted with reissues of the original Montreal Royals baseball cap.

To learn more, visit www.dare-greatly.ca.

You can also see more of Cadillac Canada’s Daring Moments on Instagram.

Words: Marcus Troy
Photography: Jon Carlo Tapia