'It feels good': Mural in Whitehorse will honour 2 homicide victims

Young painters in Whitehorse are busy working on a tribute to two Yukon womenwhose murders remain unsolved.

Angel Carlickwas 19 when she was found dead in 2007. In April of this year her mother, Wendy Carlick,was murdered in Whitehorse.

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Young peoplewith Yukon'sYouthof Today Society (InnerVibe Community Centre)are now painting two portraits on thewall of the Staples store at the corner ofOgilvieStreetand ThirdAvenuein Whitehorse.

They're framed by red eaglesdesigned by Tlingitcarver Calvin Morberg.

One of the painters is 17-year-old Josiah Jakestafrom Watson Lake, who'sa relative of the two women.

"We're doing a memorial for them, it feels good," Jakestasays.

"We get the community to help, people to volunteer if they want to. I think it's going to be remembered. I think all our hard work is going to pay off."

Angel Carlickpainted murals

Artist Lancelot Burton is guiding the painters.Burton has been a creative vision and painter for many murals in Whitehorse.

He says this one is especially poignant becauseAngel Carlick used to paint murals with the youth centre.

Burton remembers she helped complete works of artin theRiverdaleneighbourhood and downtown Whitehorse over several years.

"She was part of our project, probably 12 years ago, just before her death. And recently her mother just passed, so the idea was to put the two together. It's to commemorate Angel and also missing and murdered women across Canada," he says.

"In essence we are hoping the creator will see our prayer, of some sorts, and find justice for the missing and murdered."

'Healing effect'

The paint and supplies for the mural were paid for through a grantfrom the Yukon Government's crime prevention and victim services trust fund.

Ali Khoda is one of the young people who helped design the mural.

"I hope it has some sort of healing effect because that's usually what I expect from art. It's a healing act and I want to share that gift with people," he says.

"It's going to be here for a long time."