Butterfly Lane in Walkerville

BUTTERFLY LANE UNVEILED OCTOBER 2, 2021

The Brain Injury Association of Windsor and Essex County (BAIWE) officially opened “Butterfly Lane” in Walkerville on October 2, 2021 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
This project’s main purpose is to create awareness of the prevalence of brain injury in the community as well as educate people to this “invisible” disability. It is part of BIAWE’s mission to enhance the lives of those affect by an acquired brain injury through education, awareness and support.

Garage doors and fences in the alley between the 1100 block of Devonshire and Argyle Roads (bordered by Richmond and Ontario Streets) were painted by sixteen local mural artists. Each mural has butterflies in it. Individual wooden butterflies were painted by survivors of a brain injury as their personal contribution to this project.

Several hundred people attended the ceremony and festivities that followed. BIAWE Board Chair Joanne King and City Councillor Chris Holt shared in the ribbon cutting to officially open the alley as Butterfly Lane. Also in attendance to bring greetings and congratulations were MPP Percy Hatfield and MP Irek Kusmierczyk as well as another City Councillor, Jim Morrison. Artists displayed not only their murals but their other works of art. Each artist received a certificate of appreciation from BIAWE and another from MP Irek Kusmierczyk.

Future plans include clear coating the murals to make them graffiti-proof, planting butterfly attracting plants in the spring and the installation of signs indicating Butterfly Lane.

The life of a butterfly symbolizes the life of an individual with a brain injury. Much like a butterfly that develops from a caterpillar during the chrysalis process, the journey of a person with a brain injury can be transforming. Often, an individual with a brain injury is not the person that they once were. There is nor more striking symbol of a transformation than a butterfly. This transformation symbolically represents hope and new beginnings. This transformation happens with help from the right people from the Brain Injury Association.

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou.