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Sparks Street Mall and T-shirt artist make peace

The Sparks Street Mall and an Ottawa artist it kicked off its property for trying to give away free T-shirts have settled their differences and are now talking about collaborating on projects this summer.
CBC News ·
Artist Andrew King, left, and Spark Street Mall official Kevin McHale met Tuesday and emerged excited about working together. (CBC)

The Sparks Street Mall and an Ottawa artist it kicked off its property for trying to give away free T-shirts have settled their differences and are now talking about collaborating on projects this summer.

Ottawa artist Andrew King announced on Twitter that he'd be on Sparks Street giving away "Ottawa 2017" T-shirts from a duffel bag last Friday.

Andrew King designed this T-shirt to celebrate Ottawa. He handed 50 our for free on Friday, after being forced off Sparks Street by the BIA. (Chloé Fedio)
But before King could begin handing out the shirts, Sparks Street official Kevin McHale asked him to move off the street because he hadn't sought prior approval.

There is no bylaw that would have required King to notify the BIA simply to give away the T-shirts.
McHale's intervention fuelled a backlash on social media, and even spawned a small protest on Saturday.

The two men met on Tuesday and King and have settled their differences.

"We've come together at a common table and we've got a lot of great ideas which Kevin has been very open to," said King.

King's ideas for the summer included having an open-air art show, regular outdoor movie nights, water dispensing units for humans and pets and the return of the Ottawa noon-hour cannon.

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