Winnipeg seeing increase in graffiti calls this year

From brick walls to back lanes, data from the City of Winnipeg shows graffiti is happening at a rate three times higher than last year.

While some might call graffiti art, others, like Corydon resident Barbara Boult, call it a nuisance.

"There was a group of young men, and they went in between the apartment buildings and were spraying graffiti all over. They just continued down Corydon. I see it all over," she said.

Nate's Mobile Powerwashing, which does graffiti removal, said spring is its busiest time.

"There's been an uptick in graffiti. Pretty much when all the snow melts, you see a rise in tags all over the place, so it's been pretty busy for us lately," said owner Nathan Hamm.

The most common type of graffiti the company deals with is spray paint on brick.

"For just bare brick, we spray a chemical on there and let it sit for a few minutes. It basically eats away at the paint, and then we just pressure wash it off, and it comes off," explained Hamm.

The City of Winnipeg said it received 355 service requests for graffiti between Jan. 1 and April 26, 2023 - more than triple the 111 requests made during the same period last year.

It notes the extreme weather in 2022 likely reduced the amount of graffiti in the spring.

Despite the slow start in 2022, Winnipeg police recorded 72 graffiti incidents last year, around the yearly average they're usually involved with.

Removing all that graffiti comes with a price. The City of Winnipeg said it spends $900,000 on graffiti removal annually.

"I just find it is very destructive," said Boult. "I don't find it unpleasant to look at, but you know these are public buildings, and they are being defaced."

The City of Winnipeg's graffiti removal program runs year-round. The City of Winnipeg says if you spot problem graffiti, call 311 so a crew can be sent to clean it.