Andrew Stevens, Regina city councillor for ward 3, is providing paint for residents who want to remove graffiti from their walls.
He says he picked up some cheap paint and brushes for people in the cathedral neighbourhood who got dinged with graffiti and now face the bylaw to remove it.
“I started pretty small with about six or seven cans of a couple of colors, and we’ll see how it goes,” Stevens said.
Currently there are bylaws that state graffiti is an issue for the community and property owners are responsible for removing it.
Those wishing to get access to the paint and brushes can go to the cathedral community centre.
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“I knew that this is an issue that comes and goes in the neighbourhood. Some people don’t mind it. Some people are quite annoyed by the fact that it appears on a door or a garage. I thought this might just raise awareness that there is some avenue (to deal with it).”
He added that there are certain spaces that are like an invitation for people to express themselves and they see it as art.
“Perhaps we actually need blank murals for people to experiment, and we need to cover very boring facades of civic buildings with art that the community actually generates.”
Stevens said he will start promoting it more come spring and summer and he hopes there will be more of an uptake then.
He added that if someone from a different part of the city asked for paint, he will not deny them and it is up to city staff whether to provide it.
“Maybe this could be something that picks up in other neighbourhoods and other community associations, perhaps even other councillors. Ideally, it would start in that community and I’d like to see it unfold in other parts of the city as well.”