Outlines:

1 – Goal:

a) What is the goal of your story?
 – To introduce 2 pieces of art that are related to Kamloops
 – To introduce briefly Billy Miner and his relation to Kamloops
b) What do you need the reader to know by the end?
– There are several paintings that are related to Kamloops:
    + Billy Miner Train Robbery
    + Downtown Scene
– The mural is an interesting way to describe things and tell stories
– People can look at it from a lot of perspectives

2 – Audience:
a) Who is the likely audience for this information:
   + Tourist who are intending of coming to Kamloops
   + International students like me, who are new to Kamloops
b) How will this shape the style and content of your story:
– Informative
– Reliability
– Authenticity

3 – Core Information:
a) Do you have all the information and details you want to include:
– No, need more research about Billy Miner
b) Where will you get this information:
 + On the Internet
 + Go outside and take pictures (waiting for my second dose)
c) Do you know how to cite information if you take it from somewhere else
– Yes


4 – Detailed outline (each paragraph must have a main topic/information):

  1. Title: Mural and Kamloops
  2. Introduction:
  3. Hook your reader and draw them into the story.
  4. What will they learn
  5. Why will it be engaging and useful
  6. 1st paragraph: Downtown Scene mural by Ken Wells
  7. 2nd paragraph: The Billy Miner Train Robbery mural by Alexx Moir-Porteous
  8. 3rd paragraph: Billy’s life and his relationship with Kamloops
  9. Conclusion: Summary the information between the two murals
  10. Where are photos going to be placed?
  11. In line with/between paragraphs

MURALS AND KAMLOOPS

There are many murals wandering around the streets of Kamloops. Each painting has its own content, its own background, its own story, and its own style. Although all these arts are painted on the street walls of Kamloops, only two pieces of mural actually have a direct connection to its city and carry the history as well as many stories of Kamloops. Those are the Downtown Scene by Ken Wells and the Billy Miner Train Robbery by Alexx Moir-Porteous.

Downtown Scene – Ken Wells (2010)

The first one – Downtown Scene by Ken Wells, which is located at 263-265 Victoria Street. This mural is painted on the wall of a building, depicting the scene you would see without the building it is being painted on. Interestingly, right? The painting describes a peaceful scene of the people living here in Kamloops, with a distant highlight being the extremely famous Rocky Mountaineer train. Among the works of artist Ken Wells, this is a particularly noteworthy piece of art. Unlike most of his paintings, the Downtown Scene doesn’t match the style that Ken Wells pursues. Instead, it exemplifies the wide range of styles seen in our alleyways, which is also one of the top priorities for the Back Alley Art Gallery.

Perhaps, aside from sports and a lot of tournaments, the train is what everyone remembers about Kamloops. The second mural – Billy Miner Train Robbery by Alexx Moir-Porteous is about the infamous gentleman robber – Billy Miner, and his famous train robbery.

Billy Miner Train Robbery – Alexx Moir-Porteous (2010)

The painting is located on the wall of Cactus Jack’s nightclub at 120-5th Ave. It is rumored that Billy was one of the first bandits to organize train robberies in Canada (The Daily News, 1904).

A newspaper reported on the robbery

After committing a train robbery in Mission, BC, Billy fled back to Kamloops to hide his identity and live under the life of a farmer. However, the thrill from the train robberies prompted him to carry out the next robbery in Kamloops. Ironically, the second robbery brought him only $17, a bottle of kidney pills and 25 years in prison. Those same bottles of kidney pills were used as evidence in court for his illegal acts (Stockand, 1971). However, after serving in prison for a short time, he also escaped. The books record that he was not arrested from then on. The Billy Miner Train Robbery has its own narrative to tell, and it is also a part of Kamloops’ history. The artist – Alexx Moir-Porteous, worked really hard to make it have a dynamic appearance while also ensuring that it was accurate to the city’s history.

Bill Miner in 1906 photographed by Mary Spencer

Each mural has its own unique beauty and significance. Between the two arts, there is an unexpectedly fascinating contrast. If the first one depicts today’s Kamloops – a civilized and developed city, the second mural seems to remind that despite Kamloops’ serene and peaceful demeanor, there has been a massive incident.

Reference:

  1. Wells, K. (2010). Downtown Scence [Photograph of a Paintings]. Downtownkamloops.com. Retrieved from: https://www.downtownkamloops.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/15-263-265-Victoria-St-Downtown-Scene.jpg
  2. Deane, P. J. (1904). “Stamp out train robbery”. The Daily News. Retrieved from:
    https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/nelsondaily/1.0383084#p1z-3r0f:%22robbery%22
  3. Stockand, D. (1971). “When the Mounties Got Bill Miner”. Winnipeg Free Press. p. 44. Retrieved from:
    https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-jul-19-1971-p-44/