Let It Be: A Cautionary Tale of the Pine Street Barge Canal
Created by Juniper Creative Arts in collaboration with youth apprentices through BCA’s Artist Apprenticeship Program, this mural was inspired by research, conversations with local experts, and archival study. It reflects the Barge Canal’s complex environmental history, its often-overlooked cultural past, and the possibilities of renewal when nature is allowed to thrive. Paired with audio stories captured by Vermont Folklife, the work reminds us that while the past cannot be changed, the future can be one of healing and hope.
The Barge Canal Mural Brigade
A Cautionary Tale of the Pine Street Barge Canal
Mural Story:
Long before colonizers laid claim to Burlington, and First Nations called it home, the land was lush, fertile with life, and whole. Animals moved freely as the lake stretched wide and clear. Stars shined as constellations trekked across the night sky. The waters flowed pure and true, casting the light of celestial innocence. But as time advanced, so did human ambition. Settlers carved their presence into the landscape, driving out native wildlife to make room for domestic industry. Lumber yards, railroads, and carriage houses cropped up.
What was once a thriving ecosystem, rich with biodiversity, became the ground for trade, commerce, and eco-uncertainty. As nature was further displaced, other priorities arose, the Barge Canal and its surrounding lands became a dump for the byproduct of coal. Slag corrupted the very site that was once so precious, leaving the lands scarred, the waters soured, and paving a future where the commodification of resources held credence over the law of harmony and the cypher of life. A tug of war where casualties are seen from the \ broadest of terms to a microscopic cellular degree.
A war of the disturbance of naturality.
Many years have passed since commercial industry seeded land insecurity. Planted deep beneath the soil, a new vision blossomed purity. Nature reclaimed its territory and began healing from within. Birds, beavers, rabbits, and crows all call this place home. With raccoons, lily pads, and mushrooms in droves. Life kept thriving, no matter what, the land kept surviving. If you look closely, it is wonderful to see. The relics of old are now overgrown with the pickerelweed. Ivy scales the facade of the bridge, and forever chemicals will eventually meet their unnatural end. Friends organized around this concept and proclaimed a new decree—in the case of the redevelopment of the Barge Canal, “Let It Be."
This mural reflects the layered and complex history of the Pine Street Barge Canal, its negative impact on the natural environment, and the healing that can happen when we let nature be. It is a cautionary tale, urging us to acknowledge and remember the stories of the past so that mistakes are not repeated. While the harms cannot be undone, the future may yet be shaped by renewal and hope. It is time for the rewilding.
– Barge Canal Mural Brigade, Summer 2025
Juniper Creative Arts: Will Kasso Condry, Jennifer Herrera Condry, and Alexa Herrera Condry
BCA Teaching Assistants: Gloria Kigonya and Sofia Tudzarov
BCA Artist Apprentices: Richie Amerson, Mateo Baker-Djele, Nico Jastatt, Bella Listi,
Calvin Millham-Berry, Coretta Ngoulaki, Levi Olsen, Ellie Traxler-Menz.
Audio Stories produced by Mary Wesley and Vermont Folklife
This project was funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC00A01141-1) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
