Happy International Women’s Day 2022!

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This year’s theme is #breakthebias. Our company is proud to employ a team built with such strong and intelligent women. We believe in equal opportunities for women in a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. We are reminded today of the efforts we all need to make in our homes, communities and in the workplace in order to provide a more diverse and equitable world for the women of the future.

A special spotlight on Vancouver Goodbye Graffiti Owner, Kendra Klemke, who was featured by the Strathcona BIA highlighting Women In Business. Kendra is a perfect example of women who empower women. “when you’ve reached a point of success and have the opportunity to, make sure you’re holding the door open for the people, ESPECIALLY the women, behind you.” We are proud to have such exemplary leaders on our team!

Happy 1 Year Alex & Katie, owners of the Toronto West franchise.

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It has been a year of unprecedented challenges for the new owners of Toronto West. Despite the obstacles, the team still managed to have a record breaking sales year! Katie and Alex have been a part of Goodbye Graffiti for the past 10 years. They have worked with multiple offices and have extensive experience both in the field and at the management level. Their intrinsic knowledge of the Goodbye Graffiti systems has given them a running start at success. Alex and Katie, it has been a pleasure watching you grow within the company and we are all excited to see what the future has in store for this power team at Toronto West! 

The Building Show – Toronto Ontario

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We are pleased to announce that Goodbye Graffiti was an exhibitor at The 2021 Building Show, December 1st-3rd, 2021. This was the first in-person exhibition since the start of the pandemic and we could not be more ecstatic to be a part of the show. The Building Show was hosted by Informa at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre which included the PM expo, Construct Canada, Buildings Connect Showcase as well as the HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo.

 

With expert-led seminars and demonstrations scheduled throughout the three-day exhibition, both attendees and exhibitors were able to get a first-hand look at the latest ideas aimed to reduce our carbon footprint. 

 

Connecting in-person with the our clients and industry colleagues is one of the highlights of our year. A special thanks to the organizers for prioritizing the health and safety of both exhibitors and attendees and making this possible for another year. We look forward to a successful Building Show in 2022!

Goodbye Graffiti is a proud Living Wage Employer

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A Living Wage is the hourly wage one requires to cover their basic living expenses. The Living Wage is calculated based on a two-parent family with two children. This differs from the minimum wage determined in each region which Is the lowest wage rate an employer can pay an employee. 

 

This week is Living Wage Week and we will be seeing an updated calculation for the first time in two years! Goodbye Graffiti believes that a Living Wage is important for both our employees and the economy. 

 

Our team continues to grow and we are currently looking to hire a Graffiti Removal Technician at our Toronto West office. If you are interested in a position that allows you to work independently outdoors, while making a difference in your community, please submit your resume to torontowest@goodbyegraffiti.com. Only applicants with a G-Class Licence and clean driving record will be considered. 

Graffiti vs. Street Art

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Graffiti vs Street Art

 

Goodbye Graffiti sponsored two mural festivals this summer in Calgary (YYCBUMP) and Vancouver (vanmuralfest). The weeks were filled with an abundance of vibrant colours, beautiful artwork and learning while listening to the stories of Canada’s history. 

 

Many people ask the question, “What is the difference between graffiti and street art?”. The answer is simple! Street art is a commissioned piece with the permission of the property or asset owner. Graffiti is done without the knowledge or permission of the owner. Street art is done for the public to enjoy and as a positive addition to the community, while graffiti is committed as a form of vandalism. 

 

Goodbye Graffiti prepped and coated many murals throughout both festivals so that any future vandalism may be removed without damaging the original work. 

 

At Goodbye Graffiti, we find it important to connect with local artists so that they may find an outlet to share their history to serve as a teaching lesson for future generations. 

Last Days Of Summer

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Let’s face it, the days of summer are counting down and the time we have left with warm, sunny weather is limited. 

Before you get to checking off your summer bucket list, have you considered what Fall maintenance your property may need? We’ve put together 5 points to check in on while we have some warm weather left!

  1. Do a full inspection of your property to see if there is any chipped paint or areas that require a fresh coat. Exterior painting in the peak of summer heat is less than ideal. Use this time to refresh the look of your property!
  2. Consider power washing – it may be your last chance to clean your patios, driveways and entrances. The exterior of your property may also be in need of a cleaning.
  3. Protect your important assets with an anti-graffiti coating. This is a great option for heritage buildings, monuments and high-value surfaces.
  4. Does your property require window or glass repair? Have one of our technicians assess your site to schedule our glass repair services before the winter months! 
  5. Enroll in a graffiti maintenance program while hiring your fall and winter contractors. Many Canadian snowbirds are unable to make regular visits to their properties while away for the winter months. Be sure that your property is regularly patrolled and graffiti-free with our Ever-Clean program.

For more information about our services and how you can get your property Fall and Winter ready, call 1-877-684-4747 or submit a request for a free estimate. 

StreetARToronto (stART)

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StreetARToronto (stART) began in 2012 as a part of the city’s way to mitigate Toronto’s growing graffiti problem. Rather than plain walls, stART has organized community initiatives where artists can share their cultural traditions and history through mural art. The program has had a great success in reducing graffiti while strengthening the sense of community in the city.

StART, in collaboration with NIA Centre and 7th Generation Image Makers, is seeking artists and concepts for their “Just Us” art call. This project is to bring awareness pertaining to the social injustices and inequity experienced by the Black and Indigenous community both in history and currently. The art concepts should also show the importance of building a better future and the opportunities this will provide through inclusion, collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

For more information on this, and upcoming stART programs, visit their website at http://www.toronto.ca/streetart/. Artist’s mural proposals are due September 15th, 2021!

Why We Wear Orange

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Phyllis Webstad had attended St. Joseph Mission, a Residential School in Williams Lake, British Columbia from 1973-1974. Phyllis’ grandmother had gifted her an orange shirt for her first day at the school. Upon arrival, Phyllis was stripped of her belongings and she had never seen the shirt again.

Today, we wear orange to promote awareness surrounding the Residential School System in Canada and the transgenerational trauma experienced by the Indigenous community. Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children had attended these schools. The Residential Schools were created with the intention of separating the children from their cultures and traditions. Late last month, 215 unmarked graves had been discovered at a Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. This devastating number continues to grow to over 1,000 as further investigations into the schools continue.

In support of the Indigenous community and the Residential School Survivors, Goodbye Graffiti locations across Canada will be donating a percentage of their sales for the month of June.

Black Strathcona Resurgence Project

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Vancouver Mural Fest 2021 is fast approaching and Goodbye Graffiti Vancouver is proud to announce that they will be a sponsor – $10,000! This year VMF is introducing the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project.

The BSRP is an initiative focused on the visibility of the Black community in the area known as the Hogan’s Alley neighbourhood. This 3 year project is meant to bring awareness to the systemic racism faced by the Black community since the city’s first migrants. Hogan’s Alley and the city’s Railway Station had become known as Black Strathcona where the first Black communities arrived in B.C. As the Black population increased, so did the hate fueled by the media. The Black community had unjustly been faced with both housing and economic discrimination, forcing many of them to move to other areas. In 1970, the City of Vancouver approved the construction of the Georgia Viaduct Freeway directly through Hogan’s Alley. This began the complete dismantlement of Black Strathcona.

Today, under the North East False Creek plan, the City of Vancouver intends on recreating the rich cultural centre where the community as a whole can appreciate Black Canadian history through art, music, dance and food.

Through art, the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project would like to support the unification of a number of marginalized communities by connecting artists on the collaborative murals that will surround the Hogan’s Alley Neighbourhood. We are so excited to be a part of this amazing initiative and we cannot wait to see what these talented artists bring to life!

StreetART (StART) Toronto

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StreetART (StART) Toronto is a program aimed to showcase local artists while deterring graffiti vandalism. StART was initiated in 2012 as a part of the city’s Graffiti Management Plan. The program has produced over 1000+ street art works across the city. The art can be seen on smaller items like Toronto traffic boxes as well as some of the city’s high-rise buildings. StART provides workshops where artists can strengthen their skills, engage with their communities as well as receive access to resources aiding in mental health.

Goodbye Graffiti has worked closely with the StART team to prepare traffic boxes as well as power washing city buildings in preparation for mural application. Completed murals can also be protected by anti-graffiti coating so as to ease the removal of future vandalism while protecting the substrate. Our “zero-impact” process is non-destructive, environmentally friendly and inexpensive. Our GP1000 coating is fully reversible and can protect art for 3-5 years!

Most recently, the StreetART team has commissioned a number of local mural artists to showcase their creativity while showing the city’s gratitude to the Frontline Workers during the pandemic. These murals can be seen across the city and can be easily located using StreetArt Toronto’s – The Map on streetarttoronto.ca. Natalie Very B (@natalieveryb) is a StreetArt commissioned artist, whose mural ‘Stronger Together’ can be seen here, discusses what this mural means to her.

“[Stronger Together] depicts eight distinct groups of frontline heroes, each represented by one character: farmers, librarians, musicians, laboratory staff, telehealth workers, doctors, visual artists and food delivery services; strong, courageous and smiling.

The mural is meant to be an artistic expression of lasting gratitude to remind people that we can always find strength in the community even in the toughest of times. More importantly, it will serve in remembrance of the global pandemic”.

The City of Toronto will continue to commission artists throughout the 2021 summer to pay tribute to the city’s essential workers and their crucial contribution to our communities.