New Montreal mural honouring Rene Levesque to open next month

Muralist 'honoured' to paint Rene Levesque Muralist Kevin Ledo on being chosen to paint a Montreal mural of former Quebec premier Rene Levesque

Painting of a new mural in Montreal honouring René Lévesque is underway.

The former Quebec premier will be immortalized in paint on Highway 40 east in the Villeray-St-Michel-Parc-Extension borough, organized by Montreal charity organization MU and designed and painted by muralist Kevin Ledo.

This mural is not Ledo's first rodeo in Montreal. He has already designed the city's murals of Yvonne Maisonneuve and Daisy Peterson Sweeney.

"With my design, my goal is to show René Lévesque's role as a visionary and leader who defended and promoted a strong Quebec identity," Ledo said.

Lévesque led the Parti Québécois from 1968 to 1985. He also served as Quebec's premier from 1976 to 1985. His government adopted Bill 101 in 1977, and he was the driving force behind the 1980 referendum on Quebec independence. He died of a heart attack in 1987.

Despite Montrealers' varying views of Levesque's politics, Ledo says he has received many positive messages about the mural and that people are excited. He is pleased to be the one to complete it.

"I feel pretty honoured," he said. "He's a pretty epic personality who did a lot for the province, for Quebec. I just feel honoured to have been chosen to paint him."

The provincial government is supplying some of the funding for the mural.

"Our government is particularly proud to financially support the production of this mural, which honours a Quebecer larger than nature," French language minister Jean-François Roberge said. "Levesque's contributions to the Quebec government, such as the Charter of the French Language, continue to profoundly influence those who make it their duty to preserve our distinct cultural, linguistic, and national identity."

The mural was first put in motion in 2022 to honour the 100th anniversary of the politician's birth. Ledo began painting the mural earlier this month and hopes to finish it by early August. He says the mural will also display a quote. It is expected to officially open in late August, likely close to Levesque's August 24 birthday.