Nelson Mandela mural unveiled in Montreal

Mandela mural unveiled On the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's visit to Montreal, a mural of the South African leader was unveiled in Little Burgundy.

MONTREAL — A mural commemorating Nelson Mandela's visit to Montreal 30 years ago was unveiled in the city's Sud-Ouest borough on Monday morning.

It was painted at the Union United Church on Delisle St., one of the oldest Black congregations in Canada and the place where Mandela spoke on his trip to the city in 1990.

A mural of Nelson Mandela is painted by Franco Egalite and his team in Montreal's Sud-Ouest neighbourhood / Olivier Bousquet 

"Invited as part of his worldwide recognition tour, the South African leader comes to Union United Church to greet members of the congregation who have been at the forefront of the fight against apartheid," reads a Monday morning news release.

The project is a partnership between the church, the Roundtable on Black History Month, and MU, a charitable organization that aims to transform public spaces with art rooted in communities.

The mural was painted by artist Franco Egalite and a team. Egalite sketched out the piece by hand.

Egalite was amazed at the unveiling, because he's only seen it "nose to the wall," and not yet in its entirety.

He spent the last three days of work on Mandela's fist.

"It's iconic," he said. "Even Mandel'a fist is unique, so I wanted to make it symbolic and as strong as it was in real life," he said.

Photo: Olivier Bousquet