Concept pitched to town council

Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader

How about art on town garbage cans? Slave Lake town council heard a proposal on this from Connie Baird of the Lesser Slave Lake Regional Arts Council (RAC), at its Aug. 19 meeting.

The idea is to brighten up the town by painting some of the receptacles, starting on Sept. 14 with the ones in Schurter Park.

Baird explained to council that is the date of the RAC event Art in the Park. They’ll invite people to create pictures – “mini billboards,” she called them – on the cans, with prizes given out to the best two.

“We’re hoping to get your permission and support,” Baird told council.

If permission is granted, and the Sept. 14 attempt goes well, RAC envisions doing more such mini murals on trash receptacles along Main St., over the next few years.

Monetary support would be welcome as well, Baird said. She did not request an amount, but Councillor Shawn Gramlich jumped on the bandwagon, proposing council approve a $2,000 contribution, from “unrestricted surplus.”

Hold on a minute, said Councillor Steve Adams. We’ve got a policy on donations to community groups. Why have a policy if we’re not going to follow it?

Not that Adams didn’t like the idea of sprucing up the trash cans. He did, he said, but doesn’t like the idea of unrestricted surplus being used as “our private little slush fund.”

So did Mayor Francesca Ward like the idea. She said she considered the request “outside the policy,” and was in favour of allocating the cash.

“I think it fits perfectly,” said Gramlich.

The motion to provide the $2,000 passed. So did the one approving the painting of the garbage cans.