City hopes bylaw will stop illegal graffiti

But experts say law merely an inconvenience

The City of Winnipeg is gearing up for graffiti season by running ads alerting retailers to the bylaw prohibiting the sale of spray paint to anyone under 18.

But the director of Graffiti Gallery, a youth-oriented art program on Higgins Avenue, says the bylaw won’t stop the spread of graffiti in the city.

“The only thing this law is doing is placing the onus on businesses that sell paint products,” said Stephen Wilson, executive director of Graffiti Art Programming Inc.

“It’s like passing the buck on them and creating more of a demand for the product,” he said.

Wilson said illegal graffiti is a huge issue in Winnipeg and strongly believes forbidding the sale of spray paint is only a small inconvenience for illegal artists.

“They’ll just get someone older to buy it,” he said.

“And if they can’t, there’s the possibility a black market could be created where older individuals will sell cans to minors at a marked-up price.”

Calls to the City’s Graffiti Control department were not immediately returned to Canstar.

Cheryl Bergson, manager of ICI Paints at 1365 Portage Ave., said in her nine years with the company she has never seen a minor purchase spray paint.

“Yes, graffiti is an issue. A huge issue. But the kids that do the spaying never did buy a can from a store. They would get them through other means.”

Bergson said her store keeps cans locked away.

“In theory, the bylaw is not a bad idea. But stores such as mine end up with the tab.”

The fine for selling spray paint to a minor is $1,000 for an individual and $5,000 for a corporation.

Don Brown has a solution to help rid the city of graffiti – permanently.

He works with an anti-graffiti coating product called Hi-Slik.

The product is similar to clear paint and is applied to surfaces and walls, forming a permanent barrier, he said

“When the building is sprayed with graffiti, the graffiti is removed using anti-graffiti sprays and wipes. The surface can be cleaned numerous times. And it won’t damage the surface underneath.”

Hi-Slik seems to be catching on.

Brown said he is working with many businesses, such as CBC, MTS and Mac’s stores, which have expressed interest in his product.

Wilson has heard about anti-graffiti products, but advises against them.

“Because the seal is so airtight, it does eventually eat away at the brick. And they’re expensive,” he said.

But Brown said the spray costs only $1.10 per square foot.

Wilson has asked graffiti artists on the street what they think of the various preventative measures.

“They laugh. It won’t stop them. It makes it all the more worth while for them to keep doing what they’re doing.”