Business told to remove Drake mural deemed 'graffiti' in city letter

A pair of business partners who wanted to bring some Hotline Bling to their west-end neighbourhood are questioning why a city letter deemed their newDrake mural"graffiti vandalism."

Patrick Fay and Craig Smallrecently commissioneda Toronto artistto paint a mural on the Croft Streethouse they boughtthis fall for theiranimation, design and visual effects company, The Juggernaut.

Over the weekend, artist KestinCornwall started painting the side of the 1860's coach house with a portrait of Drake, the Toronto rapper, facing the CN Tower. Then, onWednesday, Fay and Smallreceived a"graffiti advisory" letter from the city.

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"Please be advised that on November 14, 2016 the City was made aware that your property has graffiti vandalism and is in violation of Toronto Municipal Code," the letter read.

On Friday, after being contacted byCBC Toronto, the city sent someone to take a look anda spokesperson said the mural is "fine."

"The letter that the business owners received was just to advise them that someone had complained that there was graffiti,"TammyRobbinson, from the city'sMunicipal Licensing & Standards division, said in anemail. "When the City receives a complaint, the letter is automatically sent to the address rather than sending out an officer each time."

Fay said the city shouldn't be sending out "blanket letters... sight unseen."

For the city to just blindly shut down a piece of art on a street that'sdeemedkind of an art-alleyway, that's just bizarre.- Patrick Fay, business owner

"For the city to just blindly shut down a piece of art on a street that'sdeemedkind of an art-alleyway, that's just bizarre," he said.

Theletter also stated that the property owners would berequired to remove all "graffiti" from the property. If the business partners didn't comply by November 28, according to the letter, they could be subject to "an inspection and issuance of a Notice of Violation, pursuant to the applicable law."

"My business partner and I were scratching our heads because that's the reason we bought into this community, to add a little art, a little spice," said Fay, referring to the art-heavy street that runs north and south nearBathurst Streetand College Street.

Cornwall, who worked "non-stop" over the weekend to create thelarger-than-life painting, saidhe was "shocked" by the letter."I think art deters negative graffiti," he said.

Street art is something the city has been pushing throughStreetARToronto(StART), a program that aims to add character to Toronto's communitiesand counteractthe negative effects of graffiti vandalism.

LilieZendel, the program's manager, said street art is a phenomenal way tobring neighbourhoods together.

"I think at one point [street art]was looked at as being marginal and not a really legitimate art form, and now I think it's legitimacy has been established," she said. "And in a city with a lot of cement and grey buildings we needed colour."

So who complained to the cityabout thevibrantDrake mural?

"Maybe it was someone with too much time on their hands?" said Fay."We don't have an answer."