Arts and Culture

Elliot Lake has an active, diverse, and vibrant arts and culture community. There are many opportunities to get involved, whether it be through performing arts, visual arts, the museum, or other cultural organizations.

Contests

Calling artists of all ages! The City of Elliot Lake is excited to relaunch our Banner Project for 2025.

To celebrate 70 years of history in Elliot Lake, we’re looking for fresh, inspiring artwork for our downtown and highway banners. The designs should capture all that Elliot Lake has to offer—its rich history, natural beauty, and vibrant community.

This is your chance to showcase your creativity and contribute to the visual identity of our City.

Enter Now

Contest Guidelines

This contest is available for all ages, with no restrictions for current place of residence.

Designs must meet the following specifications for consideration in the contest:

Vertical (portrait) orientation
Any art medium (digital included)
Original design with no advertisements, logos, or website information
Follows theme: 70 Years of Elliot Lake
Artists may submit multiple designs

Design tips for street banners:

Keep it simple! The banners will be installed up high on lamp posts. Small design details will get lost.
Bright, saturated colours work best.
Outlines help to define the design.
Do not use text on the banners.

All participants must agree to the following terms and conditions to participate:

All entries must comply with City policies.
All artwork must be an original design and submitted by the individual who holds exclusive rights.
Designs will be reviewed by an independent panel by May 5^th, 2025, and all decisions will be final.
Chosen artwork will be scaled and cropped accordingly and may be subject to other minor modifications.
The City of Elliot Lake will be granted non-exclusive rights to use your submitted artwork and designs for any purpose, including publicity and promotion of the City and its programs, with no entitlement to license fees or royalties. These rights shall not expire.

How to Enter

Enter Online!

OR complete the entry form below and return it to the Collins Hall (120 Hillside Dr. N.) or email it to recreation@elliotlake.ca.

Entry Form

Entry forms are also available for pick-up at the Collins Hall.

Selection Process

Designs must be submitted by the deadline: April 30^th, 2025, at 11:55PM.

All eligible designs will be reviewed by an independent panel. Winning designs will be announced on May 5^th, 2025.

Banners will be printed and displayed randomly downtown and along the highway.

Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre

The Downtown Arts Centre, located at 14 Elizabeth Walk, is an arts and cultural hub operated by the Arts and Culture Roundtable in Elliot Lake and home to the Elliot Lake Arts Club and the Elliot Lake Model Railroad Club.

Naming the Centre

The City of Elliot Lake hosted a public contest to help give the space a landmark name which matches the creativity of the Centre’s tenants, celebrates the heritage and distinguishing characteristics of our community, and promotes a sense of place and belonging in all visitors.

As a result of this contest, the arts centre has officially been renamed the Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre.

Naming Contest Winner Thank you to everyone who participated in our naming contest and very special thanks to Cheryl C. for her winning name submission.

Cheryl (and her dog Frodo) have been part of the Elliot Lake community for just under three years now, drawn by our beautiful nature and extensive trail systems for hiking, cross country skiing, and camping.

Cheryl’s goal with her name submission was to give the facility a name that was accessible and covered the broad range of arts activities which will take place inside. Just as Elliot Lake is a “jewel in the wilderness,” Cheryl hopes that the Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre will become the gemstone of the city.

Contest Shortlist

We received just over 100 unique proposals to name the Downtown Arts Centre. This shortlist of ten (10) names has been determined by a panel of judges:

Arts in the Wilderness Centre (A.W.C.): This name is a play on the former Elliot Lake slogan: “Jewel in the Wilderness.”

Berghammer Memorial Arts Centre (B.M.A.C.): This name honours Richard Berghammer's contributions to the community. Berghammer was not only an artist, but also opened his home to the needy for Christmas dinner—truly exemplifying the spirit of Elliot Lake.

Creative Mine Centre (C.M.C.): This name honours Elliot Lake's heritage as a mining town and emphasizes the creative process artists go through to make their art. Artists often have to explore and work hard to unearth their most valuable ideas, which is not unlike mining.

Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre (E.L.A.H.C.)

Elliot Lake Creative Hub (E.L.C.H.)

The Finn Arts Centre (F.A.C.): This name honours Linda and Murray Finn’s tireless and exhaustive contributions to the local arts community. It is also a play on words for Fine Arts.

The Heritage, Arts, Recreation, and Performance Centre (H.A.R.P.): This name incorporates any elective usage of the space under the catchy nickname: the HARP.

Lake Arts Centre (L.A.C.): This name pays homage to the original name of the building: The Lake Theater. Our area is known for its many lakes and lakes symbolize the "Source of Life." A potential tagline is "Make it at the Lake." The abbreviated title is the French word for Lake.

Maamawi Centre for the Arts (M.C.A.): Maamawi is the Ojibwe word for “gather and assemble all together.” Given the richness of indigenous culture in the area, this name would be a beautiful acknowledgement of historical significance.

New Leaf Arts Centre (N.L.A.C.): This name acknowledges that we are taking steps to renew our programming and infrastructures one leaf at a time.

Hours of Operation

The Elliot Lake Arts & Heritage Centre is open to the public during the following hours:

Weekday	Hours
Monday	CLOSED
Tuesday	10:00AM - 4:00PM
Wednesday	10:00AM - 4:00PM
Thursday	10:00AM - 4:00PM
Friday	10:00AM - 4:00PM
Saturday	10:00AM - 4:00PM
Sunday	CLOSED

Please note that these times are subject to change and may be affected by holidays. Connect with ARIEL for any scheduling inquiries.

Events

Summer in the Park Concert Series

The 2024 Summer in the Park Concert Series, presented by Seidel's Brandsource, has come to end.

This past season, at Westview Park, we were joined by the following amazing musical talents:

4 Wheel Country - June 2^nd
Kaiser North - July 21^st
Front Porch - August 11^th (sponsored by InsuranceHero.ca)
Mr. and Mrs. - September 15^th

Summer in the Park Concert Series

Please contact our Events team for information on the 2025 Summer in the Park Concert Series.

Arts on the Trail

Arts on the Trail, organized by the Elliot Lake Arts Club, is an annual event that occurs on the last Saturday in September.

Applications for 2025 event are currently open. Please visit the Elliot Lake Arts Club's website for full details.

Battle of the Bands

The City of Elliot Lake's Battle of the Bands event takes place in May.

The public is invited to come watch four bands go head-to-head, battling to win cash prizes and the opportunity to open for the headlining act at the Heritage Days Annual Street Dance event, which takes place on the Friday of Canada Day's long weekend.

For more information on the Battle of the Bands event, visit our Special Events page.

Heritage Days Street Dance

Elliot Lake’s annual Street Dance is a highlight of the summer, bringing the community together for a night of live music, dancing, and celebration. Held during Heritage Days, this outdoor event transforms downtown into a lively festival atmosphere, featuring performances from local and headlining bands.

With a dynamic mix of musical genres, food vendors, and an energetic crowd, the Street Dance is a must-attend event for residents and visitors alike. Whether you’re dancing under the stars or simply soaking in the vibrant atmosphere, this beloved tradition captures the spirit and community pride of Elliot Lake.
Visit our Heritage Days Street Dance page for more information on this event.

Public Art

Community Projects

Elliot Lake Letter Sign

Located on the shores of Spruce Beach, the Elliot Lake Letter Sign offers the perfect photo opportunity, showing off your civic pride and capturing the picturesque backdrop of Elliot Lake and its symbolic rock.

This monument was an initiative of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, designed by its chair Linda Finn, and was funded by Arlene Bujold in dedication of her late husband, Jerry Bujold.

Jerry Bujold was born in Elliot Lake in 1961 and the city was home until his passing

in 2016. Jerry loved to be behind a lens, capturing the beauty of the city and those who lived in it.

In high school, Jerry took photographs for the ELSS Urcapel (yearbook) and as an adult, he worked full-time for Denison Mines as a photographer, and opened his own studio, The FrameMaker, in 1984. Jerry enjoyed sharing his appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounds Elliot Lake, often photographing its namesake.

Arlene knew immediately that she wanted to help sponsor this project in memory of Jerry to honour both his love of photography and Elliot Lake.

It is Arlene's hope that the Elliot Lake letter sign will allow others to see through Jerry's lens, witnessing the beauty of nature and our community.

Even in death, Jerry's legacy will continue, and through this monument, he will be the source of many more photographs and civic appreciation to come.

Downtown Banners

Downtown Banner Examples

The community Banner Project is a series of banners which are displayed from the lampposts in the downtown area of Elliot Lake through the summer and fall seasons. The banners were designed by and for the citizens of Elliot Lake to showcase our local heritage and visual art talents.

Visit the "Our Town" Banner page to view the banner art and learn more about the artists.

Photo Op Cutout Panels

The Photo Op Cutout Project, an initiative of the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee, is a series of interactive face-in-hole panels installed around Elliot Lake to create unique photo opportunities.

Visit the Photo Op Cutout Contest page to view the art and locations of these interactive pieces.

Monuments

Uranium Symbol - Symbol Park, Kilbourn Way

Elliot Lake Uranium Symbol Monument

The striking stainless steel representation of an uranium atom that greets tourists and locals as they drive into the city of Elliot Lake, was the work of dedicated individuals: Ed McAfee, Robert Renault, Robert Blewett, Frank Merhar, Ed Laflamme, and Grenville Pierce among others.

The monument was officially unveiled June 28th of 1975, during the annual Uranium Heritage Festival.

Miners' Memorial Park - 325 King's Highway 108

The Miners Monument was officially opened on April 28, 2007 to honour the community's mining legacy.

Created by Laura Brown Breetvelt, a former Elliot Lake resident, this monument was built to honour the hard working miners who risked their lives each day, and the community and families that supported them.

To learn more about the Miners' Memorial Park, visit our page.

Murals

"Story in Stone" Mural - Children's Aid Society Building, 29 Manitoba Road

Story In Stone Mural

The "Story in Stone" mural was created by artist Linda Finn.

The rocks around Elliot Lake offer clues about the processes that shaped the Earth. Formed more than 2.5 billion years ago by volcanic activity, this very ancient land surface was shaped by massive earthquakes, periods of glaciation, plus extreme weathering, making this area famous the world over for the variety of rocks found here. Millions of years after these cataclysmic events, vegetation and animals appeared. In more recent times, pictographs discovered on rock faces have indicated that human beings were present in this area several hundred years ago, perhaps even longer.

Finn researched the geological history of this area, getting advice from Rob Henderson, a former geologist with Rio Algom. She also referenced an excellent guidebook, "Geology and Scenery, North Shore and Region," written by Robertson & Card and published by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Mural Breakdown

The top of the mural represents the Archean era , more than 2500 million years ago, when volcanic activity formed ancient volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Examples of Archean (known as Algoman granitic) rocks can be seen on the west side of Highway #108 along the power line after exiting Highway # 17.
The next level depicts sedimentary rocks from 2200 to 2500 million years ago, known as the Keewatin banded iron formation (found very close to the airport, on the east side of Highway #108.
The dark band of rocks is an intrusion of the Nippissing Diabase, formed about 2160 million years ago by further earthquake activity. These intrusions can be seen in many rock faces along Highway #108.
A glacier formation, in the next band on the mural, represents several glacial periods in this region when rocks were moved and shaped by the force of the ice. Rivers deposited silt and sediment in other locations.
The area below the glacier is the Mississagi Formation, which is the large rock face that can be seen across Horne Lake.
From the Paleozoic Era (400-600 million years ago) there is a narrow band of rock containing fossils. Some evidence of fossils has been found around the Boland River area.
Below the band of fossils, the Gowanda conglomerate is depicted. This type of rock was mined for Uranium.
As vegetation followed the formation of the rocks, Birch trees are part of the strata. Birch trees are one of the oldest species of trees found world-wide.
In the water below the trees are found representatives of Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish which first evolved in the water.
Brick-red rocks, found just north of Elliot Lake (the Oompa Lake fault), serve as the backdrop for some of the animals & insects that have evolved in this area.
The pictographs on the rock face at the bottom centre are from the Gowganda Formation, and are similar to some of the vestiges of ancient rock art found on Rooster Rock on Quirke Lake. According to the “Geology and Scenery of the North Shore”, human inhabitants were present in this region at least 9000 years ago.

"What is the North to Me?" Mural - Lennon Family Chiropractor Building, 114 Ontario Avenue

Background

This mural was created by Linda Duke in 2013. The painting and poetry express the artist's love of the North.

Poem

White Pine tree

Paper Birch

Maple's scarlet glow

Black Spruce in Mist marshes

Where cattails grow

Where beavers build, and

Loon's staccato call

Echoes across crystal lakes.

Here ravens sweep and soar

In sweet, clear Northern skies

While rocks of ancient origin

Reveal Earth's history

This wild, this half tamed land,

This North is Home to me.

"The Back-Door Staking Bee" Mural - Seidel's Building, 23 Elizabeth Square

Back-Door Staking Bee Mural

The "Back-Door Staking Bee" mural was created in 2014 by Susan Krupp, a creative artist and illustrator living in Elliot Lake.

Background

To learn more about this event in Elliot Lake's origin story, visit the Museum's page.

"Founding Fathers" Mural - Elliot Lake Meats & Deli Building, 4 Prince Edward Walk

Founding Fathers Mural

The "Founding Fathers" Mural was created by Susan Krupp in 2013, a creative artist and illustrator living in Elliot Lake.

Depicting three influential men who were important to the establishment and development of Elliot Lake in the 1950’s, Susan has painted strong portraits of these determined men in the world of mining.

Joseph H. Hirshhorn

Joseph H. Hirshhorn, born in Latvia in 1900 came to the United States when he was seven. He was raised in Brooklyn NY. And at age fifteen left school and began his successful journey up the financial ladder starting as a messenger boy on Wall Street. He was a millionaire before turning thirty thanks to shrewd speculations cashing in before the stock market collapse of 1929. He became interested in Canadian mining after the gold price rose to US$35 an ounce in 1932.

In the 50’s, he and geologist Franc Joubin were primarily responsible for the big “Z” uranium discovery in northeastern Ontario and the subsequent founding of our city of Elliot Lake. Hirshhorn Avenue is named for him. Hirshhorn’s primary role was to provide funding for the drilling and development of the initial mines.

When he began making money, he began buying art! He amassed a collection of paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries. He tried to create an art museum in Algoma Mill but met with much resistance. All of his collection is now on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC.

Franc R. Joubin

Franc R. Joubin was a committed prospector. A chemistry and geology graduate of the University of British Columbia, he began his mining career in the gold business with BC’s Pioneer Gold Mines. In 1948 the Canadian government legalized prospecting for Uranium, so a young Joubin went searching for it with his $120.00 Geiger counter. When he learned that pitchblende had been discovered near Sault Ste. Marie he was one of the first on the scene. When he discovered rich deposits of uranium ore in 1953, he organized a highly secretive operation known as the “Backdoor Staking Bee”. More than 1400 claims were staked encompassing some 56,000 acres. His perseverance resulted in the creation of 9 separate mines and became one of the biggest mining booms this country has ever seen. Joubin’s passion for prospecting, his skill and determination led to the success and growth of Elliot Lake. He was inducted in to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 1989.

Steven B. Roman

Steven B. Roman was a Slovakian immigrant who began working in Canada as a tomato picker. He started farming with his brother but was unsuccessful. After serving in the Canadian armed forces in WW2 he began toying with penny mining stocks.

His first success came in 1953 when he sold a $10,000 investment in the Concord Mining Syndicate for $2 million, following the Syndicates discovery of oil in Leduc, Alberta. Roman went on to buy a stake in North Denison Mines at just over 8 cents a share and by 1954 controlled the company, renaming it Consolidated Denison Mines. When he purchased 83 mining claims in Elliot Lake for some $30,000 cash along with 500,000 shares of Consolidated Denison, Roman was launched into the league of major players in the world’s mining industry. These claims contained what was then the world’s largest deposit of Uranium.

Roman was a passionate entrepreneur. He built wealth for his shareholders and jobs for Canada by funding, exploring and developing this resource. Roman admits that he was a dreamer and a risk taker.