WHO PAINTED THIS? DECADES OLD MYSTERY IN NEW BRUNSWICK BASEMENT SPARKS QUEST TO FIND ARTIST.

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada: For 15 years, a mystery has quietly lurked in the basement of an east Saint John home. 

It's an intriguing puzzle: a hand painted, folk-art mural depicting a well-known west-side Saint John neighbourhood.
And its sheer size — the mural measures more than one metre by one metre — makes it clear this artwork was a labour of love.

But by whom?

Jen Parker, whose mom owns the home that houses the mural, is obsessed with finding the answer to that question.
Parker has always known about the mural. But for years, it was partially hidden by boxes and other items, just another wall in a basement storage room.

Then her mom began readying the basement for a renovation, and that's when Parker got a full glimpse of the hidden treasure.

"I was intrigued by it," she said. "It's very cool." 
    Just after Christmas, she turned to social media sleuths for help, posting a photo of the unsigned mural and asking if anyone knew who'd painted it.
      But so far, all roads have led to dead ends.
      Ultimately, she'd like to see the mural put on display somewhere in the city.
But first, she wants that one question answered.

"Mostly, I'm just really intrigued about who painted it," Parker said. "That's really the question I have."