Over the past few months, Annie Woo’s 96-year-old father has had a series of health issues. A recent fall cracked his vertebrae and when hospitalized for that, doctors discovered he also has dysphagia.
“He’s currently in hospital as we speak,” Woo told CityNews.
As the family scrambles to arrange the care he needs once released, they’re also dealing with another issue – a notice from Toronto’s Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) department giving him 20 days to clean up his graffiti-filled wall at his own expense.
“We’re looking at $5,000 to hire a removal company,” Woo said. “Apparently there is some vigilante walking around my father’s neighbourhood taking photos of homes hit by vandals and reporting it to MLS.”
Woo’s father lives in a home on Sullivan Street in Toronto’s Chinatown neighbourhood, a Victorian brick house with a south wall facing a public parking lot – an open canvass for graffiti.
“This has been going on for years, in fact three years ago we went through the same thing and paid to get it cleaned up only for it to be hit again,” she said.
Woo’s father is far from being alone. Up and down Spadina Avenue and throughout the many side streets in Chinatown, graffiti is everywhere – especially on garages and walls in public laneways.
“This area is a frequent target and has been for years. Homeowners here go through the same process over and over. Get hit, pay to clean it up, only for it to happen again,” Woo said.
According to Toronto’s bylaw, any homeowner who notices graffiti – even if they had no part in it – has 72 hours to clean it up. If it’s not and is reported, MLS officers can send a warning – like they did for Woo’s father – or issue a fine.
“So in the end, it’s the homeowners who continue to get punished, twice,” Woo said. “The city needs to look at this punitive bylaw and perhaps create a program to help us. We can’t keep doing this. It’s untenable because we’re not the criminals here.”
Woo points to other cities like Winnipeg, which offers a free program for homes to help pay for cleanup costs.
While no such program is being considered in Toronto, City staff when contacted say there’s money made available to homeowners to paint a mural on walls frequently targeted, something they argue deters vandals from striking again.
“While the property owner is responsible for paying the artist, the City will help by supplying materials – such as paint, brushes, rollers, and drop cloths – up to a value of $3,000,” a City Spokesperson said.
The city also recommends other options to property owners:
Woo isn’t convinced any of that will solve her father’s problem.
“This is an area that attracts this type of crime. We’ve also looked at trying to put a fence in but his property abuts a public laneway. I can’t fence it unless the city wants to give me eight feet of their laneway and that’s not going to happen,” she said.
Woo also feels there’s a double standard, arguing that city-owned property which is also hit by vandals goes uncleaned for months.
“Bridges, city fences and other city-owned property have graffiti. Why aren’t those held to the same 72-hour standard? They don’t even follow their own bylaws.”
Speakers Corner reached out to City staff about that.
“Staff do their best to respond as quickly and efficiently as available resources allow. That said, we take that concern seriously, and City staff will be reviewing this issue,” said a City spokesperson.
Tonny Louie, President of the Chinatown BIA fully understands Woo’s frustration.
“It’s a big problem here,” he said.
The BIA spends roughly $60,000 per year to contract with a graffiti removal service to clean up businesses which are frequently targeted.
“It’s a huge expense but I feel it’s worth it, we have found once the graffiti is cleaned up the vandals are less likely to target again,” he said.
But even the BIA program has run into limitations. The company will only remove graffiti up to a certain height, so vandals are now aiming higher.
“They are now climbing on roofs and hitting the tops of buildings which unfortunately we can’t help with,” said Louie.
He agrees the City should look at doing more to not only prevent graffiti but also help those who might not be able to afford the costly cleanup measures.
Woo, who’s now helping her father meet that 20-day deadline, is continuing to advocate for that.
“The City has yet to hear me. I’ve copied the city councillor and the mayor and I haven’t heard back,” she said. “But I’m not going to let this rest, this system of targeting innocent people repeatedly has to stop.”
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