An old-time solution for a modern problem. That’s what Councilor and Deputy Mayor for the Town of Bracebridge Rick Maloney is suggesting for the issue of graffiti present along Chancery Lane and other areas of town.
Maloney wants to use volunteer work gangs from the nearby Beaver Creek institution to help get the graffiti under control along the picturesque lane that runs off Manitoba Street east of Taylor Road.
At issue is the optics of the brick walkway that abuts the exterior walls of a number of businesses. The sidewalk belongs to the town, the buildings to private owners. The graffiti, which adorns most of the properties along the 80-metre walkway is technically not the town’s responsibility. Maloney would like to offer some help to the building owners and improve the visual appeal of the Lane.
There was a time many years ago that things like road work and landscaping were all done by prisoners from local prisons. Over the years there has been a sharp reduction in this type of public works activity, but as Maloney explains the town has been working with Beaver Creek for its sixty-year history.
He stresses that the solution should not come out of the taxpayer’s bottom line.
“With the property owner’s approval you have a community service group from Beaver Creek cleaning up both municipal and private property,” he explains.
The idea is being presented to council through the Environmental Advisory committee which Maloney chairs. He says it will not require any funding and nor will it require formal approval from the full Council.
“We will give some communication to council that we have this relationship in place, and if there are any questions from the community they will have the information to respond to that,” he says.
Maloney hopes to have a crew go out in the fall for the first round of graffiti removal and would plan on twice yearly work parties.
All Photos by Doug Crosse – Moose FM
