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EVERYTHING KING: From ramshackle to pretty in pink

'We brought a vacant building out of the shadows,' says councillor; In this week's Everything King, Wendy chimes in on downtown building

Let’s talk about the pink elephant in the room.

By now, if you’ve driven through downtown Barrie, you could not have missed the bright pink (may I say, fuchsia) paint job on what used to be the Bank of Montreal next to Meridian Place on Dunlop Street.

I didn’t want to weigh in right away, as I honestly wasn’t sure what to think of it.

My first impression was that it was very loud and maybe a bit gaudy, but then I am not a ‘pink' person, either.

There was the suggestion that colourful architecture is all the rage in places like Miami. But, they’ve got a lot of sun and, you know, flamingos.

I did some research on the meaning of pink and it suggests a fresh start. 

The Psychology of Color says it represents compassion, calm, joy, kindness, and romance. It goes on to say, “colour usually exerts its influence automatically.”

I will admit I will take all the pink you’ve got if it can replace the dull, dreary grey and taupe used on so many apartment buildings and condos. That might be “on trend,” but it has zero personality.

What the shocking pink did was got people talking without the Downtown Barrie BIA having to utter a word.

When the BIA did comment, it was to explain it is part of a rebranding to bring new life to the downtown core after two years of COVID and construction.

As reported in BarrieToday, the new logo and hash tags are #BeBold #BeConnected, #BeSeen, and #BeDowntownBarrie.

I figured I would find out about the strategy and psychology behind it from BIA chair and city councillor Sergio Morales.

“As far as the colour, we wanted something shocking for sure. We wanted to literally paint the building and then give no explanation for two weeks, like a slow-burn roll-out, but there was so much interest and chatter we made our reveal in two days.”

Morales figures about 85 per cent of the reaction has been positive.

“Some love the pink, while others may not be enthralled with the shade, but appreciate the fact that something positive is happening. We brought a vacant building out of the shadows," he says. 

There has also been suggestion that the bright colour will aid in crime prevention. I have heard of mellow music piped through the atmosphere as having that effect, but I’ve never thought colour would be a crime-fighting tool.

Morales explained they aren’t necessarily talking about violent crime. It could be anything from loitering to vandalism to littering.  There is evidence that if a property appears well cared for, well-lit and maintained that the area becomes safer, he says.

That made sense to me.

So, the big pink canvas is just the start.

Keep your eyes open for an artist’s mural which is likely to be “more than a static traditional mural, but not necessarily controversial,” according to Morales.

Watch for the next surprise at the pink building during the Noella Festival kick-off on Nov. 20.

Let's all meet downtown!


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About the Author: Wendy King

Wendy King writes about all kinds of things from nutrition to the job search from cats to clowns — anything and everything — from the ridiculous to the sublime. Watch for Wendy's column weekly.
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