Graffiti blooms along the shores of McNeill Bay.
Oak Bay resident Phil Abrami first noticed it on the seawall while walking his neighbourhood in mid-April.
Aware graffiti is something that can spread if left untreated, he reported it to the district. That’s exactly what they want, said Hayley Goodgrove, communications specialist with Oak Bay.
Graffiti removal in Oak Bay is complaint driven and relies on residents calling it in.
“District crews take photos of the graffiti prior to removing it and share the photos with Oak Bay police to assist in identifying the perpetrators,” Goodgrove said in a statement to the Oak Bay News. “We do our best to remove graffiti in a timely manner, subject to operational and workload constraints.”
READ ALSO: Greater Victoria sees spike in graffiti
When Abrami called it in, he was told they’d get there when they could. As time slipped away in McNeill Bay, more graffiti appeared.
“It keeps growing in size and it’s quite an eyesore,” Abrami said. “This is the first time that we’ve seen it in such proliferation.”
He worries about the aesthetic for both residents and the tour buses that recently returned to the picturesque Beach Drive route post-pandemic.
He’d like to see more proactive work and quick cleanup, perhaps talking to young people in schools and bigger budgets.
Graffiti is not uncommon in Oak Bay, popping up routinely in parks and on private and public structures. The district cleans or covers any public graffiti and if it’s found on utility structures, such as BC Hydro boxes, that business deals with the damage.
Residents can report graffiti by calling 250-598-4501 or using “report a problem” under the “I want to” tab at the top of the municipal website at oakbay.ca/i-want-to.
READ ALSO: Saanich residents wage war on graffiti
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