A mural, honouring a local artist who died in 2002, is now covered with a few windows at a West End building.
Walter Zielke-Reusch, also known as "Zoohky", was a fixture in the neighborhood for decades, fixing discarded items and writing poetry.
"I think he was a bit of a legend," said Erika Wiebe, former editor of the West Central Streets, a local newspaper that ceased operating in 2011.
"He always had some of his poetry in his pocket,” she added. “When you ran into him, he wouldn't hesitate to pull out a poem and just read it to you."
After Zoohky passed away, a mural was painted in his honour at the corner of Sargent Avenue and McGee Street.
The mural now has three windows covering it. One over Zoohky’s face, another over his stomach and the third over his bike, which he was famously known to be riding around on.
For community members, this is an unfortunate event.
"He was a very significant figure in the West End," said Charlie Johnston, a mural artist. "Murals like that should last a long time."
The original owner's sold the building, and it has since become a church and that required some renovations.
"We have the intention of keeping the mural, even though changing the window kind of a little bit, disfigured the building,” said Yemi Okunnu from the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
However, for people lamenting the loss of Zoohky's face from the mural, the church is working with the West End Biz to bring it back to life.
"There is going to be a vinyl covering that they're doing,” said Joe Kornelsen. “We're very happy they're willing to take these steps to preserve the mural."
The West End Biz hopes Zoohky's face will be back on the mural by the summer of 2017.
