The restoration of a mural depicting the history of Muskoka is complete and the nine-foot-tall by 55-foot-long painting is hanging in its new home on the wall of the Bracebridge Sportsplex auditorium.

“It’s wonderful the town of Bracebridge cared enough to do this,” said Roger Pearce of The Painting Doctor who completed the restoration work. “Art is a major part of what we are in Muskoka.”

It took Pearce two months through the hottest part of the summer to remove 34 years of accumulated grime and tobacco smoke from the mural, working on the floor of the District of Muskoka garage in Glen Orchard. He then reworked much of the painting. “The original artist was fantastic,” he said, “but someone else attempted some restoration and messed it up.”

The $5,500 for the cleaning project came from Lakeland Power reserve account.

Councillor Steve Clement made restoring the mural a special project after the Bracebridge Agricultural Society reminded council of its existence in April 2007 and requested it be displayed in the fairgrounds hall instead of being hidden away in storage. Clement asked where the mural was and nobody knew. It was found rolled up in storage.

The mural is painted on high-quality linen and weighs about 150 pounds. It took four men and a Skyjack to hang it in place. The painting was up before the New Year’s party at the auditorium and received several positive comments, Clement said.

The mural depicts the history of Bracebridge and Muskoka from the days of First Nations and European explorers and continues to the 1970s. Painted in 1973 by American artist Forrest Jacob, it was originally displayed in the IGA store at the Riverside shopping centre. When the store closed, the work of art ended up in the possession of David Knappett of Maple Orchard Farms who donated it to the town. It was taken out on special occasions and hung at the old Centennial Centre.

A second mural, showing more recent Bracebridge history, is expected to be up within a month, according Leo Broere, culture and recreation manager.