THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), in partnership with the city’s Clean, Green and Beautiful Committee, sent out a call to artists to submit proposals for a new public art installation to be displayed on the second-floor windows at the front of the Thunder Bay Police Station on Balmoral Street
The idea here is to beautify the station and create a more welcoming atmosphere for the public.
According to TBPS, the theme for the display is Gawendum Gaakina Awaya (Protect Everyone/Everything), featuring the Seven Grandfather Teachings.
The Seven Grandfather Teachings are Courage, Respect, Honesty, Truth, Humility, Love, and Wisdom.
This project aligns with the service's commitment to advancing Truth and Reconciliation.
“One of the recommendations that we see through several of the reports that came up to the service was the about representing our Indigenous community,” Police Chief Darcy Fleury told Newswatch.
At a recent police board meeting, Tracie Smith, Director of Corporate Communications for Thunder Bay Police, informed the board that the police service scored fairly low among the Indigenous community according to their Citizen Satisfaction and Trust Surveys.
“So, we talked about it quite a bit around the office, and we talked to some of our consulting groups and our elders and said, 'OK, what would be a good idea?'
"And we kind of came up with the idea of doing these murals on the window because when you look at the front of our entrance, it's pretty cold, it's not very welcoming,” Fleury said.
He said the idea was met with a great deal of enthusiasm.
“I think the message is that we are open to everybody. We do serve the entire community. And, one of the pieces that we've seen over the last while is that the response from the Indigenous community saying they feel like they're underserved,” Fleury said.
“This is just really a welcome. Like it's just an opportunity for us to say, 'come on in,' and it's also a message to our people in our building as well that we are committed to working with everybody in this community.”
The submission details can be found on the City of Thunder Bay’s website where they state they are looking for applicants that identify as Indigenous, and live, work, or attend school in Thunder Bay or the surrounding region.
But that doesn’t exclude applicants who currently reside outside of Thunder Bay and the surrounding region.
Those applicants must demonstrate that Thunder Bay has played a direct role in their lives to be eligible to apply.
Both emerging artists/artist teams and more established artists and teams are equally welcome to apply.
Fleury also mentioned this is a paid commission for the selected artist or artist team. Providing the commission is The City Thunder Bay’s Clean, Green and Beautiful Committee.
The proposed budget for nine exterior window designs is set at $10,500.00. The city is asking for a budget breakdown during the submission process.
Fleury said this project is one initiative the police service is looking into to make the police station more welcoming.
Feedback from the public shows that the building itself doesn’t project a level of comfort which can discourage people from entering the building to report a crime.
“Our building just doesn't have that opportunity to really demonstrate the cultures in this community. So, down the road, we want to expand on that and really push it forward that we're here for everybody,” Fleury said.
He explained that he is continuously consulting with special interest groups and organizations, as well as, the police service is gearing up to host several town halls to hear more feedback from the public.
He also noted that police officers engage in regular culture and diversity training. Coming up this fall, the services community outreach team will be hosting reconciliation training for their officers.
“It's a good program for us to really show our employees the importance of colonization and the effects of that on the Indigenous people, and the meaning behind us and the work that we do to work with them,” Fleury said.
“It's really important as a matter of fact, it's been so well received that we're trying to pare it down a little bit to some of the communities have asked us to provide that for the training they want to do with their people.”
The deadline to submit their proposals is Nov. 22 at 4 p.m., and the artist or artist team selection will be held on Dec. 9.
Fleury said the final installation of the artwork will be done by the spring of next year.
