I was really shocked to see so many benches and garbage receptacles pop up everywhere as I realized that they were going to be places with commercial advertising. I had been so happy to see the wooden bike racks and the attractive wooden bench and planters by the bus stop on Otter Point Road, hoping that more would come.
Commercial signs are not often very attractive, and become invisible very quickly. I have always been amazed that we need to have a huge sign indicating a gas station when the driver sees the gas station almost at the same time as the sign.
Do we need to have more distractions while we are driving? Do we need to have more incentives to consume things we usually don’t need but only want? Do we need to have thrown at us this constant visual aggression? When will we learn that quietness, beauty, nature, slower pace, sharing are the only essential elements necessary to building a peaceful and happy society.
Going back to these commercial benches, we could have kept the log theme. Don’t we have enough logs and/or driftwood around to beautify our small town instead of making it more and more similar to a shopping mall? We could have also helped a local company by having them put benches around our city - without commercials on them - made from recycled material. A better option would have been to also think of a shelter with a simple bench as we have more days with rain than without.
I think everyone will agree that the shelters in the city centre adorned with children’s and young adult art is an artistic beautiful addition. We were fortunate to receive five blooms from the Communities in Bloom judges, a fantastic accomplishment. I feel all these new benches with their advertising, will bring a negative note.
I know these benches are a thing to stay but possibly instead of advertising we could slowly put art and/or photographs on them. There is always a better way of doing things than mere profit for one company.
Frederique Philip