The installation of public art at the Evans Roundabout this week drew the predictable response.
But while the hate was not unexpected, it is still disappointing.
The project was eviscerated online, with comments repeating the worn complaints that it’s too expensive, that it’s too much of a distraction, that it’s an eyesore.
The favourite lament is that the money should have gone to support the homeless – this just a week after the city committed 14 times as much – $700,000 – to bolster a $9 million plan to build supportive housing in the downtown.
And then there’s the argument it will be a distraction.
Please.
There are many things distracting drivers these days. But most of them, sadly, are inside the vehicle. An outdoor art installation is no more distracting than a road sign or a pretty sunset.
Is there some place else the money could be spent?
Of course.
But the same argument holds for parks, trails, playground equipment, sports fields, theatres, even public transit.
Municipal planning is about portioning resources in a way that serves the diverse needs and wants of a community.
We could live in a city that cares only about the essentials: sewage and garbage collection.
But what a sad and vapid existence.
Better to live in a city unafraid to try something new – to create a personality and become something more than an assemblage of bitter taxpayers.
Let’s just lighten up a bit.
We can have a little fun while still dealing with the often sad and urgent realities of urban life.