Spots of colour in Point Douglas

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This article was published 10/10/2017 (646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Residents in North Point Douglas are coming together to put spots of colour into things that sometimes are dull to the eyes.

 

Edward Cloud, a member of the Point Douglas Residents Committee and a school teacher, is leading a project that will add art to Manitoba Hydro poles spread out around the neighbourhood. He said the project’s primary objective is to engage residents and revitalize the community.

Inspired by a similar project done in Victoria, B.C., Cloud got approval to paint 30 poles. He is recruiting local artists who will be paid to create stencils and work with community members to compose the art. During the summer, he built four-wheel cart kits with brushes, paint, cloths, and anything else an artist would need.

"Point Douglas is an amazing community in terms of having professional artists. It’s just so rich right here. There are so many. So we are intending to hire a few to take groups out and a kit and paint a pole," he said.

The first two poles were finished on Sat., Sept. 30 and other three will be completed by the end of October. Cloud and the PDRC are letting the neighbourhood know about the project through a newsletter. They want to spread the word and get people involved to paint the remaining poles next spring.

Cloud said they’ll have a Saturday event where residents can sign up in groups of two to five people to work on one pole and have an artist assist with design and other painting tricks.

"We’re using the resources of all the professionals in the community, but then pairing that with everybody else so that we come together and do something that’s beautiful," he continued. "And just create some more contact between different elements of the community that don’t always hang out together.

"By putting up something beautiful can help people see that the attitudes (in this neighbourhood) are changing."

This project is one step to future ideas to create more community connection, Cloud said. To learn how to get involved with this project, check out the PDRC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PDRC.WPG where they’ll be posting updates.