Dude Chilling Park sign is here to stay

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – After more than a year of bureaucratic back and forth, an online petition, and even a mention on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, Vancouver’s ‘Dude Chilling Park’ sign has been officially installed in Guelph Park, its permanent home.

The sign put up Thursday is actually a replica of Victor Briestensky’s now infamous artwork, itself inspired by the park’s wooden ‘Reclining Figure’ sculpture.

The original one is in safe keeping.

“I’m very happy today, it’s a very fun day,” says Dustin Bromley, who helped organize the online petition that eventually got the attention of the Vancouver Park Board.

“It’s nice to see that something the community brought into the park that had support made it through the public process and is now here for everybody to enjoy,” explains Park Board Commissioner Sarah Blyth.

Blyth and Bromley unveiled the sign Thursday morning, while Briestensky was overseas and couldn’t attend.

A handful of neighbours turned out for the ceremony.

“I think it really symbolizes people in the neighbourhood coming together to do something for them that’s not brought from the city, not brought down by the government,” says Mallory, who lives nearby.

“We just come together and we make decisions about how we want our surroundings to be, our parks, and our atmospheres to be.”

However, the unveiling was not without its controversy.

Another local, Leona, made her displeasure known to the media on hand.

She has lived in the neighbourhood for 26 years and says the park has bigger issues to deal with, namely the actual dudes who choose to chill there.

“There’s kids and there’s a school right here and these drunks are here everyday,” she explains.

Blyth admits the sign does have its detractors, but claims only eight per cent of neighbours polled in a public consultation opposed it.

Still, Leona remains unconvinced.

“That’s not art. It’s a sign. I could make a sign too.”

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