In collaboration with Mile End Memories, SDC Laurier Ouest, the City of Montreal and the boutique Ombres et couleurs - Benjamin Moore, this mural was imagined and executed by artists Ankhone & Nicole Boyce in spring 2024.

“Les Portes du Temps” is an artistic and symbolic concept that invites visitors to pass through an imaginary door to travel back in time and explore different eras in the history of the Mile End district.

This mural explores the theme of past and future through a captivating interplay of light, color and symbolism. On the left wall, historic and iconic photographs, an elderly figure evokes a sense of reflection and nostalgia about the past, represented by a deliberate absence of light and color. As the eye moves to the right, the gradual introduction of vibrant hues and images symbolizes the present and future, where light becomes brighter and more colorful. A central motif serves as a visual link, fusing the two walls and weaving a unified narrative of the time continuum. Through this interplay of light, color and symbolism, the work aims to provoke contemplation of the passage of time and inspire hopeful anticipation for the future of the Mile End community.

We are at the junction of Saint-Urbain and Laurier West, a strategic crossroads that opens onto iconic neighborhood streets and sites, witnesses to its history and bearers of the passage of time. People of diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious origins have always lived here, and continue to do so today.

This project was made possible thanks to financial support from the City of Montreal as part of the Mural Art Program 2024 (Volet 2).