Spotlight on 5 Wing Goose Bay Murals & Artist Kayla Williams

If you happen to be strolling around 5 Wing Goose Bay, you're sure to spot caribou, sunning seals, howling wolves, polar bears and an array of wildlife for which the Big Land is known.

But rather than being born on the land, these creatures came to life through paint/ink and one local artist's skill and imagination.

Kayla Williams of Big Land Design is a self-taught artist who has been sharing and celebrating Labrador life and culture through art and story ever since she could hold a pencil.

Artist Kayla Williams sits with her work at the Canex building.

When she was approached by the Department of National Defence to create two murals — one at the Canex building and one in the lunchroom at 5 Wing Goose Bay headquarters — she saw it as an opportunity to further share that culture and encourage reflection on the importance of respecting Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. 

When Darren Barker, a recently retired serviceman who was also the wing's culture evolution coordinator, noticed Williams' murals in Port Hope Simpson and at the local campus of College of the North Atlantic, he knew she was the right artist for the job, choosing two high-traffic areas to get the most eyes on her work. 

"I wanted it to be a mural to showcase Labrador and its Indigenous cultures. There's three Indigenous groups and there was no Indigenous art on display at the wing...I thought it'd be a good stepping stone to try to get people to broaden their horizons and educate themselves," he says. He also hopes that Williams' work will inspire people to explore more of Labrador's beautiful landscapes.

Kayla Williams’ mural at 5 Wing Goose Bay HQ.

"It's a good way to incorporate some culture into your workspace, that's a benefit to all visually and aesthetically, and support your local artists." 

Williams completed the murals this past December, which she says "represent the original peoples of this land — Inuit and Innu — and our deep connection to the animals and the land itself."

"My hope is that my work serves as a reminder to everyone working in these spaces to respect the Indigenous peoples who have called this place home for generations and to honour the land that has provided so much for us all.”

As an artist and Inuk woman, the project, she adds, holds special meaning and significance.

"The military base in Goose Bay is a complicated place for many of us — there’s a long history here that can't be ignored. So when I was asked to create murals in that space, I saw it as a chance to gently but boldly remind people whose land they are on. Through these murals, I was able to bring Indigenous presence, stories and imagery into a place that has often felt disconnected from that," she says.

"It gave me a voice in a space that hasn’t always welcomed ours —and that’s powerful. It reminded me why I do this work: to make our culture visible, especially in places that need to see it most."