The city must have missed the memo that the province and the country are in a recession. It is the only way we can explain the recent frivolous use of taxpayer money downtown.
Many have probably noticed a new mural on the street in front of St. Albert Place and fresh coats of paint on the medians at the intersections of St. Albert Trail and St. Anne Street and Sturgeon Road. There are also artsy cutouts planned for light standards downtown. Under the heading of corporate branding, it is basically an expense – in the tune of $53,000 – aimed at beautifying downtown, with a little mention of public safety tossed in for good measure.
While this is all part of the city’s corporate branding policy, which allocates a percentage of money for projects to initiatives such as these, in this case, the mural is the equivalent of tossing money in a hole and paving over it.
That section of road will be ripped up next year as part of a repaving and intersection realignment project. At that time, if it receives positive public feedback, the city will incorporate the image into the pavement.
We are sure there was a cheaper and smarter way to consult with the public over this mural. Instead of spending what basically amounts to a person’s salary on a temporary display piece.
An hour with Photoshop and an image posted to the city website would have probably done the job and for under $100.
