Art – Protest – Resist – Reclaim
Photo credit: Canadian Museum of History
No, Eh.
“no, eh” logo, designed by the Toronto-based artist, Michael Cavanaugh
This logo was produced during the period between the release of the Macdonald Commission Report (Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada,) in September 1985 and the 1988 Free Trade election held on November 21, 1988 which saw Brian Mulroney’s conservatives returned to office. The report sparked widespread debate across the country, including organized protests against a free trade agreement with the United States.
The Coalition Against Free Trade (CAFT) was one of many groups and organizations that formed to oppose free trade during this period. In 1986, CAFT initiated a number of events in Toronto to promote public awareness and support for what they called a “pro-Canada” stance against an agreement. One of their most successful activities was their logo, designed by Michael Cavanaugh. A founding member of CAFT, Marjorie Griffin Cohen – who was also vice-president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) and chair of its Employment and Economy Committee, at the time – describes the design as “brilliant – part of a US flag, with a red maple leaf as one of the stars and ‘no, eh” on the bottom.” In her essay, “Confronting Power, Money and Most Economists: The Class Action of the Anti-Free Trade Movement,” Socialist Studies/Études socialitstes 15 (1) 2021, Cohen recalls that Cavanaugh’s “no, eh” design was “used on buttons, tee shirts, and pamphlets throughout the country and was the one big money-maker for our Toronto group.” (8, italics added.)
Cabbagetown Neighbours Heritage Mural with Poonam Sharma, Toronto 2016
Proud Member of the Community
Michael uses his art to give back to the city that has brought him so much joy. In collaboration with amazing immigrant artist Poonam Sharma he deisgned and painted the Cabbagetown Neighbours Heritage Mural with has become a landmark for the historical area and a popular Instagram spot. In St-Jamestown, Michael worked with artists of different backgrounds to create a multicultural mural in one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Canada.
Michael founded and runs a public art project called Bell Box Murals that employs local artists chosen by local residents to decorate their neighbourhoods. This project, which started with a few boxes in Toronto, has spread across the entire province and resulted in over 800 murals and thousands of dollars in local artists’ pockets.
Neighbourhood of Nations mural with Catherine Tammaro & Poonam Sharma, 650 Parliament St, Toronto, 2015
Rose of Cabbagetown with Ted Hammer, Toronto 2018
Founder of Bell Box Murals
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Aylmer & Yonge, Toronto 2010
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iGora, 33 Isabella, Toronto, 2016
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Pearson & Sauroren, Toronto 2015
“The idea of transforming mundane urban objects...those that lack any aesthetic appeal...into canvases for original graffiti art, giving artists an opportunity for income, experience, and visibility, is brilliant. It not only turns vandalized spaces into public artworks but also makes the streets more inviting for residents and visitors, enhancing a community’s sense of belonging and pride in their unique neighborhoods. This is the essence of mural and public art, and you made it so!” Muralist Serge Malenfant on Michael Cavanaugh’s impact, April, 2025.
Press
Michael Cavanaugh started the Bell Box Mural project in 2009 and has since worked with local artists to create more than 800 Bell box murals.
He is a 2018 Urban Hero award winner.
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“If a utility box near you has gone from a drab eyesore to a work of art, there’s a good chance Michael Cavanaugh had something to do with it.
Cavanaugh started up the Bell Box Murals program — which sees local artists commissioned to paint murals on the solid metal boxes — in St. James Town in downtown Toronto in 2009. Since then, the program has facilitated the painting of some 350 murals on utility boxes in 35 communities across Toronto and beyond. “
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“I caught up with Cavanaugh to get the background on the mural project. The idea was born while he was doing charity work for 6 St. Joseph House back in 2009. The managers of the neighbourhood centre approached him with a mission. The local residents’ association had received a grant from the City of Toronto to paint boxes.
“There was a great response from the community. I was experiencing it too,” Cavanaugh says. “I was thinking, there was so much appreciation, but then I realized it wasn’t just the art per se but the beautification of the street.”
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I really liked the wya the colors in the mural were flowing into the background with the trees. I think its a winter street scene which offsets the autumn foliage right behind this mural.