(Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Klassen)

By Chad Klassen

KAMLOOPS ART BINS

Garbage bins around Kamloops getting a makeover for a good cause

Aug 28, 2019 | 4:18 PM

KAMLOOPS — A select few garbage bins around the city are getting spruced up — thanks to an initiative introduced by the city.

Staff applied for and received a grant through the province’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to launch a pilot program to have local artists paint a handful of the containers.

The city received $2,500 for the project, which has the artists mentoring young people in the community who are gaining ownership of the bins through their work.

Chris Bose is working with two youth on an Indigenous piece of art. He is a youth worker by trade with Lii Michif Otipemisiwak but dabbles in some art on the side. He’s combining his two passions through this project.

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(Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Klassen)

Bose is helping paint the bins, while mentoring some Indigenous youth.

“Right now, I’m working with two youth, and they’re youth I work with quite often in different projects and different capacities,” Bose says. “We started getting ideas for this together a couple of weeks ago, and they’re pretty stoked to have free paint to paint something.”

The project was inspired by the city. Staff knew the bins needing upgrading, and instead of slapping another coat of yellow on top, Social Development Supervisor Natalie Serl says they came up with the idea of inviting local artists to put their own spin on it.

“We started talking about what if this could be a mentorship program for at-risk youth? So then through Social, Community, and Development, we’re able to connect with different agencies and find some youth that would really benefit from this mentorship program, and get them connected with the artists to learn from proper techniques for street art, and get them engaged in something really, really interesting.”

There are eight bins being designed by the artists, but the hope is that some of the other 1,400 garbage containers in the city will be painted as well.

The North Shore Business Improvement Association has jumped on board with the idea. Executive Director Jeremy Heighton says it is sponsoring a few of the bins and reaching out to businesses who may want to get involved as well.

“Typically the bins cost about $300 apiece to do,” Heighton explains. “So the NSBIA is kicking in sponsorship for the other six bins that we’d like to put on the corridor. And then some of our commercial clients will also be doing some bins as well.”

Meantime, Bose says the kids that are helping him out will take pride whenever they see their work in the city.

(Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Klassen)