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Press Releases 2007

For immediate release

November 16, 2007

Klees Rides the Rails to Check out Graffiti

( Queens Park ): Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees boarded the GoTrain in Aurora this morning to see for himself the walls of graffiti that line the tracks on Aurora 's south side. Rider s of the GoTrain service complained to Klees about the graffiti while he was campaigning at the Aurora Go Station during the October provincial election.

"A number of people expressed concern about the graffiti and I promised to look into it," said Klees. "One individual told me that some of it was highly offensive and he was embarrassed to have his young daughter exposed to it. That's why I wanted to see for myself."

Klees invited photographer Rob Schuetze of Aurora Online to ride the train from Aurora to King City with him on Friday morning and had no trouble finding the displays along the rail line.

Klees met later in the day with Heather Green, Aurora's Provincial Offences and Property Standards/Licensing Officer who is coordinating an Ad Hoc Committee that has a mandate to address the issue of graffiti within the Town of Aurora .

The Committee, chaired by Councillor Alison Collins-Mrakas , is tasked with the responsibility to develop recommendations for a graffiti abatement program for Aurora in cooperation with community groups, the business community and York Regional Police.

"Apparently this is an issue that is of growing concern," said Klees. "The number of graffiti sites is expanding and includes both public and private property. Fences, buildings, utility boxes and even street signs are being used as canvas. In some cases the messaging is not only offensive, it can be downright intimidating. It's something that has to be dealt with now before it gets completely out of hand."

Klees said he will support the Town of Aurora 's Ad Hoc Committee's work and will investigate the possibility of provincial support for a graffiti abatement program.

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Picture attached

For more information:

Frank Klees, MPP

416-509-8999


 

Letter to

Graffiti Abatement Ad hoc Committee  March 20, 2008

 

Picture taken by Rob Schuetze,

Aurora Online from Aurora GoTrain

Article from The Auroran November 20, 2007

"This is the view that greets commuters on the southbound GO train to Toronto...more:"