Dear Editor:
I am concerned about the block-locked wall mural project as presented by Bowen Island Public Art Advisory Committee. It is not my intention to present any objection in the pertinence of public art on Bowen but I would simply like to make a few practical points, one of them being safety.
I think we all agree that the wall is ugly or at least not attractive. Past councils attempted to find solutions to remedy the situation and in my mind they all failed.
- BICS kids mural was a cute idea that soon became tacky and was removed.
- The long mural mounted on some weather-treated plywood commissioned by a previous municipality only lasted a few years before it started to swell and the paint flaked off and it too was removed. It had also been “vandalized” by sharp objects dragged on its entire length.
- More recently the wall was painted and in my mind looked like a military training camp (but that is subjective) and paint soon started to peel off.
- Now we are presented with the idea of artists painting on panels and I have no doubt that rain, sun and vandals will be at work again and that once again no permanent solution would be found.
- The other point I would like to make is about safety. The area is a passageway for people walking to or coming off the ferry. I have been concerned about the narrowness of the “path” for a long time. Over the years, I have seen people coming off the ferry and running to catch a bus or a ride or simply being impatient with pedestrians walking slower than them and I have witnessed a few times people stepping over the concrete blocks dividing the path and the road. With vehicles unloading and driving at a fair speed, that was a very dangerous thing to do.
- If pedestrians (visitors…) were to linger to look at the art works I think this situation would be even more dangerous.
I believe it would be time to stop applying “bandages” to the problem and to finally call a “surgeon” to take the ugly wall down, widen the path and build a permanent natural rock retaining wall and let nature do its thing.
Let’s not spend more money on temporary solutions and more importantly, let’s keep people safe.
Babette Deggan
Island resident of 20 years
