City of Regina looking to make street painting program permanent

The City of Regina's administration is looking to add a little more colour to the city.

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will meet on Thursdayand is expected toforward a report tocity council recommendingtheCommunity Street Painting Program be made a permanent fixture.

Started as a pilot project, the street art program ran in 2017 and 2018 and saw painters block off sections of streets and apply an artist's touch to the asphalt in the area.

Murals adorned the streets and intersections at 14th Avenue and Montague Street, James Hill Road and Aerodrome Road near cole Harbour Landing School,and Eight Avenue and Hamilton Street in the Warehouse District.

If council gives final approval, groups will be able to apply for a $400 permit to literally paint the town red, or whatever other colour they desire.

"A street painting event contributes to placemaking by providing an opportunity for a community to gather for the purpose of a collaborative, artistic endeavour that provides a sense of community, inclusion or cultural representation," the city report reads.

The money from permits will help the city recoup the costs of parking restrictions, road closures and barricades, or whatever else is needed to facilitate a safe environment to paint.