Montreal is undoubtedly the most vandalized city in Canada. From littering gone mad, to graffiti morons tagging every single thing they see, we are reminded every day that millions of dollars have to be spent each year by the city in order to have it (at least partially) cleaned up for the tourist season. On this blog we seek to understand the roots of these problems, as well as promote productive discussions about these growing issues.
The main problem with vandalism is that doing it is practically free, while fixing vandalized property can cost thousands of dollars. Below is a picture of a city worker using expensive polishing machines to remove a scratchitti (see scribe) tag from a downtown bush shelter. Making this tag only requires a sharp rock and a couple of minutes, while the removal process can take about 15 minutes of hard precise work plus a lot of energy.
Illegal graffiti “tagging” is the most common vandalism issue in Montreal. Our city spends about $10 million each year on graffiti removal programs and yet the problem just keeps growing. Below is a vandalized RESO sign pole on Ste Catherine street.
With our province facing so many infrastructure issues, our city does not have the luxury to keep spending such huge amounts of money on fixing and cleaning up vandalized property, so we have to come up with better solutions. Tagging can be partially deterred by promoting public art such as graffiti murals. Big businesses can contribute with their own graffiti removal and cleaning crews as they do in other cities. What are your ideas for tackling these problems? Leave your comments.
