Vernon says no to Clarence Fulton Secondary grads’ plan to graffiti city street

The graduating class of Clarence Fulton Secondary will not get to tag the road outside their school with graffiti, even though students at Vernon Secondary School were allowed to do just that on a city street.

Vernon Secondary School students were granted approval by the City to revive a tradition popular in the 1970s of painting a block of 30 Avenue, known locally as Suicide Hill, with graffiti. Students took out their cans of paint and tagged the road June 17. 

The Fulton Grad Committee had asked city council to let the students write their names on a portion on Fulton Road, in the same way Vernon Secondary School students had been allowed.

However, after a lengthy debate today, June 22, Vernon council voted against allowing the students to do so, instead suggesting they seek approval from the school district to paint on the parking lot of their high school.

The report from City staff says any painting on the road would require immediate removal before the road could be opened to traffic due to provincial regulations.

While councillors ultimately sided with the staff report, which advised not to allow the students to graffiti the road, council almost broke ranks with the administrators.

"What's the big deal?" councillor Brian Quiring said. "Paint the road and let the earth, wind, and fire take it off."

Quiring put forward a motion to ignore the provincial regulations and let the students paint the road and then reopen it to traffic.

"I'm with you on this one," councillor Kari Gares told the meeting.

Councillor Scott Anderson said he was happy to let the students paint the road.

However, the issue of liability was raised and Quiring backtracked on his proposal.

"Maybe I'm too cavalier with safety," he said.

Gares put forward a motion to let the students paint the Kal Tire North parking lot, where the Vernon Farmers' Market is held.

She lost the vote with Mayor Victor Cumming, and councillors Kelly Fehr and Dalvir Nahal voting against the proposal.

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