On the same day police were probing the disturbing destruction of public art by spray-painting vandals, there was good news on the same front at the Innisfail Ski Hill with the launch of a new youth-orientated graffiti removal program.
About a dozen young people joined Innisfail peace officers and staff from the town's Family Community Support Service (FCSS) at the ski hill on July 10 for the new volunteer-driven Community Graffiti Removal Program. The participants included FCSS youth volunteers and young people from the Personal Empowerment Employment Program Services (PEEPS) for youth between 16 and 25. PEEPS is funded by the federal government's Skills Link Program.
“This is something new. We wanted to clean up the town, and show that tagging and destroying property is not acceptable and not appropriate,” said Tammy Oliver-McCurdie, manager of Innisfail's FCSS office. “There are places in town to do graffiti. We have the graffiti wall at Ritson-Bennett Park.”
She said PEEPS has had 16 kids in the program over the past six months, with 12 of them having found employment. “These kids who are left are looking for employment and they are working with other various businesses on part-time and contract employment,” said Oliver-McCurdie. “This is about skill building, something to do and they are really excited about helping clean up the town.”
Oliver-McCurdie said the initiative is a summer program and will continue this week and into August. Under the mentorship of local peace officers, the youth removed graffiti last week from the exterior walls on buildings at the ski hill and those spray-painted in the downtown core.
“I am here for the PEEPS program and to make this town look better,” said 19-year-old Chris Forsythe.
David Osmond, 20, is starting his own landscaping company. However, for the time being while he works to get his venture off the ground he was at the ski hill on July 10 with other young people cleaning up the graffiti.
“I was looking for a job and was having a hard time finding one and I want to help out other people,” said Osmond, adding he is concerned with the graffiti issue in town. “I have a little sister and it's nice to see the town clean,” he said.
Community peace officer Ryan Anderson said graffiti continues to be a problematic issue in town every spring and summer. He said the key to tackling the problem is to focus on more education and prevention.
“What I try to do is educate business and property owner steps to prevent it from happening and when it does happen the faster you take it off the more likely they are to move on,” said Anderson. “If you don't allow them to display graffiti they get frustrated and move on to another location.”
“I always tell people that within the first 24 hours that you discover graffiti you get it off,” added Anderson. “The longer it stays on it cakes because of the sun and it makes it tougher to remove. The faster you remove it once it has been put on, the easier it is going to come off as well.”
Form more information to volunteer with the new graffiti removal initiative call the Innisfail FCSS office at 403-227-7744. The town also has graffiti removal kits available on a first come first serve basis to assist property owners in removing graffiti. Call 403-227-3376.
