The graffiti wall on Bronson Avenue is popularly called ‘House of Paint’. It is one of the three legal graffiti walls in Ottawa. Photo credit: Halima Sogbesan

Gloucester-South Nepean may be on its way to becoming an emerging hub for Ottawa’s graffiti complaints.

An analysis of data from the City of Ottawa shows that the number of graffiti complaints from the ward more than doubled between 2014 and 2015.

In 2014, 11 people from the ward called to report graffiti incidents to the city. That number climbed up to 30 in 2015. At the same time, the number of requests to get graffiti clean up was at an all-time low, according to data the city provided. Last year, only two requests were made from the ward.

Map showing number of graffiti complaints in Ottawa between 2014 and 2015

Source: City of Ottawa

Staff Sgt. Sam Fawaz of the Ottawa Police Service explained that the difference in numbers results from residents who sometimes make 3-1-1 complaints about graffiti on city property but do not call the police or by-law services to request a clean-up.

In other cases, owners of private property do not bother complaining. They just call the city to make clean-up requests.

“I have not heard much from residents or businesses on this,” Coun. Michael Qaqish of Gloucester-South Nepean wrote in an email response.

Rideau-Vanier and Somerset retained top spots on the list of wards with the highest number of complaints and requests in the city.

“It’s an inner city neighbourhood,” said Alex Lauren, a graffiti artist who has painted in Ottawa for 18 years. “Graffiti thrives in the city centre not in the suburbs.”

Despite complaints about graffiti in unwanted spaces, the city provides a three special walls in different parts of the city where artists are allowed to draw and paint. Lauren says only two of these are an ideal location for talented graffiti artists, the third wall in Orléans has no appeal.

“You can scribble there if you want, but you can’t really create any good quality artwork at that spot,” Lauren said. “You can’t even stand up to paint.”

Lauren says the city may have to build at least three more walls to reduce the number of graffiti vandalism cases in the city.

Graffiti vandals get  busy between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m, tagging private and city property. Lauren says the culprits are usually up and coming artists who do not want to be painted over at the few legal walls.

“Graffiti is pretty much a popularity contest,” Lauren said. “There are different ways of become popular, by writing your name in a million places so people can’t go anywhere without seeing it.”

Overall, Ottawa’s graffiti complaints experienced an 18 percent decrease, from 910 in 2014 to 746 last year. The number of clean-up requests also plunged by 39 per cent.

Fawaz says there’s no way to pinpoint the cause of the overall decline across the city. He said community police officers have been visiting schools to educate individuals about graffiti.

“Some people do works of art, they are beautiful but unfortunately, they are not on their property,” Fawaz said.

“We understand your freedom of expression. If you want to express yourself and you do it on somebody else’s property, it is a violation of the Criminal Code of Canada and you will be charged with mischief.”

The City of Ottawa charges people caught placing graffiti on private or public property a $615 fine.

Lauren says in the future graffiti will not stir as much attention as it presently does.

“There are a lot of baby boomers who just can’t understand the point of it,” Lauren said. “If you talk to someone in their 30s, they don’t care or they are inquisitive. They want to know about it.”

(Click on link below for details on how to report graffiti)

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