Sackville’s Arts Wall is really more of an arts walk these days, a series of plaques, curving along Main Street right beside the Waterfowl Park, featuring notable contributors to the region’s art and cultural life.

Tonight, two more residents will be added to the walk: Dr. Janet Hammock, who is being named ‘arts builder’ and Del Wheaton, who is being honoured for performing arts in music. The ceremony is taking place starting at 6pm at the Vogue Cinema, and will be livestreamed for those who can’t attend in person.

• Check out CHMA’s interview with Janet Hammock here.

Del Wheaton is a lifelong multi-instrumentalist musician originally from Midgic, who has lived in Sackville most of his life. CHMA stopped by to meet Del Wheaton last week, and here’s some of that conversation:

Before his parents gifted him his first guitar at about age 10, Del Wheaton learned the instrument by imitating his older brothers at the family home in Midgic Pretty soon after that Del was playing at school events, and later was asked to join fiddler Curtis Hicks. That’s where Del met a young Ivan Hicks, whom he would go on to play and tour with for decades.

These days Del Wheaton is well known in his own right, and before the pandemic had been playing at nursing homes, churches and local events with a group made up of fellow musicians including Marjorie Dobson, Alan Balser, Austin Trenholme, and Fred Phinney. But his career goes way back, and took him around the North America.

Back in 1954, Del joined Ivan Hicks in forming The Golden Valley Boys, making recordings for radio stations around the Maritimes, as well as playing concerts and dances.

The musicians would take it further in 1979 with the formation of the Maritime Express, which toured all over Canada and into the United States. In Maritime Express, Del became known for his comedy as well as his musicianship, in an act called The Grubb Brothers, which he performed with his brother-in-law Tom Johnson.

Del recalls a particular skit that featured a rooster on stage. Tom had collected recordings of animal sounds, and with Vivian Hicks on the sound controls the rooster became an unlikely barnyard impressionist. “People got a great kick out of that,” says Del.

Del is notably humble in talking about his long career, and the honour from the town of Sackville in joining the Arts Wall. He’s already had other accolades, having been inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

Del says he was “blessed with a little bit of talent and had the opportunity to use it.” He encourages the younger generation to stick with music. “I stuck with it,” says Del, and while he doesn’t feel he’s reached virtuoso status on any one instrument, he takes satisfaction knowing he’s brought some joy into the world. “I played my part,” he says, “and I did okay.”