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Banners beautify Rotary Arts District in Port Alberni

Arrowsmith Rotary wants to hang banners up sooner and leave them up longer
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Rotarian Larry McGifford (on the ground) assists Gary Bender of Bailey Electric in raising two banners outside of City Hall on Wednesday. ELENA RARDON PHOTO

It’s been a banner year for the Rotary Arts District, according to Rotarian Larry McGifford.

This week, the first of the annual Rotary banners were hung up on street lamps from Centennial Pier all the way up Argyle Street.

“This is the most we’ve had in one single year,” said McGifford.

He said they were looking for around 88 entries, and ended up with about 84, with a few more still trickling in. Along with hosting an annual Community Paint-In at the Glenwood Centre, the Arrowsmith Rotary Club took their banner stands around to daycares and extended care facilities in the community, so residents would also get a chance to paint their own banner.

This is the eighth year that the Rotary Club has hosted the banner painting initiative, but it is the first year that they moved the paint-in at the Glenwood Centre to Family Day weekend, instead of May long weekend.

“This is the earliest we’ve ever had them up,” said McGifford. “We feel that it really helps to beautify Argyle Street, so we want to get them up sooner and leave them up longer.”

The theme for this year’s project was Canada 150, but artists were allowed to paint whatever they chose.

“We let the artists come up with their own artwork,” said McGifford. “We just provide the supplies.”

McGifford said it will take all of two days to get all of the banners up. He is working with Gary Bender of Bailey Electric to cover the Rotary Arts District stretch.

“To hear the compliments from the public afterwards, it’s worth every ounce of exhaustion,” said McGifford. “It changes so much.”

elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com

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Gary Bender of Bailey Electric raises two banners outside of City Hall on Wednesday. ELENA RARDON PHOTO
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Rotarian Larry McGifford (on the ground) assists Gary Bender of Bailey Electric in raising two banners outside of City Hall on Wednesday. ELENA RARDON PHOTO


Elena Rardon

About the Author: Elena Rardon

I have worked with the Alberni Valley News since 2016.
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