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Graffiti Removal

Student volunteers paint out graffiti in Marpole

The Marpole Business Association was very pleased to host a volunteer graffiti paint-out crew from the Kerrisdale-Oakridge-Marpole Community Policing Centre (KOMCPC) in late May.

The crew, student volunteers from King David High School, were organized by KOMCPC's Anti-Graffiti Paint-Out Program's Assistant Coordinator Joanne Wong.

The students spent several hours painting over various forms of graffiti on commercial buildings, walls, fences and also on public property.

Several MBA member property and business owners commented on the volunteers working and were very pleased by the great job and results of painted-over graffiti on their buildings.

"This was the first of what we hope will be many graffiti paint-outs in Marpole," commented Marpole BIA President Michael Tee.

"Graffiti just attracts more graffiti, so it is very important that it be removed promptly, either by individual property owners or through Graffiti Paint-Out programs like the CPC's."

The Marpole BIA extends a sincere THANK YOU! to Joanne Wong, the KOMCPC, City of Vancouver, and the great students of King David High School.

For more information on this program or to report graffiti, contact the Marpole Business Association, at 604-418-8232 or email: marpolebia@marpoleonline.com.

Graffiti - There's No Excuse!

The City of Vancouver Engineering Department has implemented an outstanding program to assist property owners in the clean-up of unsightly graffiti, punish offenders and to help provide mural walls where legitimate and aspiring artists can practice their trade.

Visit the "graffiti" web site and the whole program is explained in detail:

http://city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/streets/graffiti/

Highlights are:

• Fines for graffiti offences now begin at $500.
• Property owners are responsible for clean-up, but the City has partnered with ICI Paints-Color Your World/Glidden Paints to provide free kits to cover-up these messes.
• In the event that owners fail to act, the City will do it for them and invoice the costs.
• A list of commercial graffiti removal companies is provided.
• The City is advertising the location of "mural walls" where it is permissible to paint graffiti, and inviting private property owners to donate wall space to the program.
• The City will try to encourage community groups and neighbourhoods to have "paint outs" to improve areas, and will pitch in with the necessary supplies.

Special thanks to the DVBIA for this article.