Deep roots, strong bonds
The sun has risen on a warm August morning and Kat and Derek Simmers, siblings from Bashaw, Alta., are ready to tackle their largest painting project to date. They stand in front of a concrete building, their tools spread out neat and tidy before them — cans of spray paint, rollers and a lift ready to take them all the way to the top of the tall, concrete wall that will soon be bursting with colour. By 5 p.m., the siblings pack up, after long hours of painting, sketching and detailing. But in just 10 days, they will proudly look up at the finished 86-foot-tall mural they painted together.
The mural project reflects the queer community in Alberta — a community that is vibrant and resilient, despite growing challenges. Within the mural, Kat wanted to depict the connection between individuals in the community and the land itself.
“We find each other and form these tight bonds, a bubble of safety in a province that feels very threatening to us right now,” she explains.
The mural wasn’t just a creative endeavour, it was a family affair. While visiting from Yellowknife, where he currently resides, Derek brings his own personal artistic style to the collaboration, adding to Kat’s vibrant and meaningful design — a collection of Alberta’s indigenous wildflowers displayed in rainbow colours.
“We have different styles, but we figured out how to play to each other’s strengths,” said Kat. “It was funny to see, even within spray paint, to see where our different techniques and hands lent themselves.”
Derek explains the experience was a testament to their growth as a team: “We’ve developed a lot of confidence working in this partnership. Challenges don’t set us back, we can think things through that much quicker together.”
Their shared passion for the project’s subject — a celebration of 2SLGTBQIA+ pride and nature — fueled the collaboration along with the coffee.
Derek adds, “The subject matter is very important to the both of us.”
The mural quickly became a magnet to all the passersby. As it took form, people passed by eager to chat with the artists as they worked and to learn more about the flowers growing on the side of the building. Kat laughs remembering all the interactions that slowed them down the first few days.
“We got nothing done because there were so many people coming by and talking to us.”
Those interruptions became part of the magic of art. The conversations transformed the mural into an experience and a statement rather than just spray paint on a very large canvas. The dialogue in the community was all about the new image and its meaning. People shared their stories, their excitement and their pride, turning the project into a bridge between artist and community.
After two weeks of assembling scaffolding, mixing colours and perfecting tiny details, the moment of completion came with mixed emotions. Pride, of course, but also melancholy flooded the siblings.
“Finally finishing it was really, really satisfying,” Kat said. “But I was sad to finish it.”
The piece came together beautifully, it stood almost eight storeys tall, and brought a vibrant burst of life to downtown.
For Kat, embarking on this project was deeply personal. As a transgender artist, she recognized the profound impact of creating something so public, so unapologetically bold. Kat describes her piece as a clear homage to pride in Alberta. The rainbow is a renowned symbol of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and anyone who sees the colours can understand who the mural is for.
“It’s special to be a visibly trans person painting things like this,” said Kat.
After the mural was finished, she experienced a wave of recognition from strangers in the community. Kat’s position as a bartender at a brewery in Inglewood made it easy for people to strike up conversations with her about the facade.
These moments carry a lot of weight for her, including something that she wished she had access to when she was younger.
“One of the things I remember when I started my transition was how important it would’ve been for a younger version of myself to see someone like me,” she recalled.
Kat recognized how important it is for trans youth to know that they are allowed to just be themselves, especially in Alberta, and especially now, since three bills targeting transgender youth are set to become law.
Uprooted by policy
These legislative efforts have targeted trans youth under the guise of parental rights and child protection.
“What we’re seeing in the Alberta context is really reflective of larger global forces,” said Dr. Corinne L. Mason, a professor and coordinator of Women’s and Gender Studies at Mount Royal University. “There’s a real backlash against the human rights and social movement wins of the last 20 or so years.”
Mason refers to the recent anti-trans bills tabled by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government. Smith has aligned her policies with her political base and supporters, fueling what Mason describes as a surge of hate and hostility toward queer and trans individuals.
After the introduction of these bills, “the social climate changed immediately,” said Mason, “It has enabled folks with anti-trans, anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric to go full gusto on their targeting of queer and trans people.”
For artists like Kat, visibility is resistance. She sees her mural as a beacon for those who feel unheard and unseen, particularly in a province where the political tide has provoked more discrimination. The mural’s impact is not just artistic, it’s a reminder that trans people do exist, thrive and contribute to Alberta’s garden of life — reflecting both an act of defiance against the backdrop of the anti-trans legislation, and an act of defiance that’s a call to action.
“I wanted to create hope and optimism through the piece,” said Kat. The design is meant to calm tensions, not to inflame them. She chose to make something that brought people together, something that celebrates queer joy.
Blooming hope
The immense fresco features rainbow colours, an obvious but necessary tribute to the pride flag. Kat insisted on including the rainbow pattern to ensure the meaning was not misaligned.
The mural is a, “Love letter to the trans and queer community,” explains says Kat. “I hope it’s inspiring to other trans people in the province who feel like they don’t have a place here. I want them to know that this city is our home as much as anyone else’s. We belong here just as much as anyone else.”
Standing tall with its vibrant colours and delicate blooms, the mural provides symbolic roots for the queer community firmly in Alberta’s soil.
“The native Alberta wildflowers symbolize that we’ve always belonged here and will always have a place here,” notes Kat.
Finishing the piece meant it was time for Derek to return to Yellowknife. Kat was back to normal life too, and the downtime without painting only made her miss the process, and her brother, that much more.
But the mural will always be a source of connection for the siblings from Bashaw. And through every brushstroke and every conversation sparked by the mural, Kat and Derek have created something far bigger than the giant wall it graces. They’ve painted a story of pride, resilience and hope — a story that continues to ripple through Calgary long after the paint has dried.
