A splash of fresh white paint and a few sweat-streaked T-shirts marked the comeback of an old Esquimalt staple on Thursday morning.
With paint rollers in hand and the sun beating down, about 20 volunteers gathered outside the Wholesale Club to scrub away some of the township’s most visible graffiti – and with it, usher in the return of Esquimalt Together Against Graffiti (ETAG), a program aimed at reclaiming public spaces.
ETAG, a partnership between VicPD and the Township of Esquimalt, enlists residents to help clean up graffiti on public property.
Volunteers are trained and equipped with cleanup kits through public works, taking on utility boxes, hydro poles, and other targeted surfaces across the community.
Their message is simple – tagging isn’t welcome here.
“This has been a big thing for me,” said Esquimalt Coun. Meagan Brame, standing in front of the freshly painted wall. “I hate driving down the road and seeing beautiful murals constantly tagged. Today, we cleaned this up in under an hour – and it just looks great.”
For years, ETAG quietly helped keep graffiti at bay in Esquimalt. But when its longtime volunteers retired, the program ground to a halt – and taggers took notice.
“We went for probably 10 years with very little to no graffiti because we stayed on top of it,” Brame said. “But once it sat empty, the tagging got worse and worse because people realized nobody was taking it down.”
Esquimalt council originally voted in favour of revitalizing the initiative on July 11, 2022.
The Wholesale Club – despite being private property – was chosen as the kickoff point for its visibility and the sheer amount of graffiti on-site.
“It was a hot, sunny day and this was just the perfect spot to start,” Brame said. “Normally, we focus on public property, but this one was just calling out for attention.”
For Ian Diack, VicPD’s community resource officer for Esquimalt, the morning was more than just a cleanup – it was a statement.
“We want to keep Esquimalt clean and send the message that this kind of tagging isn’t welcome here,” Diack said. “The turnout today was amazing. We’re hoping to carry this momentum throughout the year.”
While the program focuses on public property, residents can report graffiti through VicPD’s online system or by calling the non-emergency line.
For Brame, seeing young people join longtime residents in the effort sparked a sense of hope.
“My heart swelled,” she said. “Volunteerism has really declined since COVID. But to see the number of youth out today – it’s fabulous. Maybe now, if they see their friends tagging something, they’ll say, ‘Hey, I painted that. Stop'.”
She glanced back at the fresh coat of paint covering the once-tagged wall.
“Every little bit helps,” she said. “And if everyone took their street, their block, we’d get there.”
