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Millican Ogden-area garbage cans tell community story

Garbage cans in the community of Millican Ogden are getting a lot brighter, and read worthy.

Kaylynn Miller, general manager of the Millican Ogden Community Centre, said the garbage cans are a part of the This is My Neighbourhood (TIMN) project with the City of Calgary.

The garbage cans are funded by the city and are one of the three art installations awarded to the community.

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Miller said they’re a way to honour the history of the Millican and Ogden communities.

“Each garbage can is a different representation of something that went on in this area, because this area is rich in history,” said Miller.

One garbage can tells the story of Harry Huish, founding member of the Millican Ogden Community Association. The can details his involvements with Steele’s Scouts – a group that worked with the RCMP in the 1800’s to keep peace in Alberta before it became a province. 

This garbage can shares the Harry Huish story, he was a founding member of the Millican Ogden Community Association, and this garbage can stands across the field from the current association building. CHELSEY MUTTER / LIVEWIRE

Another garbage can shares the story of how Chicken on the Way, an Alberta-born business, saved a community event by delivering 600 pieces of chicken when the original caterers chicken had become contaminated.

Chicken on the Way made it onto one of the art projects. The can tells the story of the business catering a 250 person event with little notice. CHELSEY MUTTER / LIVEWIRE

Community selection process for trash cans

The City of Calgary, in an email to LiveWire, said residents of the community selected public art for the This is My Neighbourhood project. Nicole Wolf designed the garbage cans. Wolf worked with community residents to tell the story of the area. 

“Nicole worked with a historian and they conducted numerous interviews with residents of the community and a lot of reading of archives and books like the Ogden Whistle to gather stories to turn into art,” stated the City of Calgary.

The garbage cans are brightly coloured and it’s clear from a distance that they’re more than just a garbage can. CHELSEY MUTTER / LIVEWIRE

According to the city, there will be 12 painted garbage cans throughout the Millican-Odgen-Lynnwood communities.

Maps will be emblazoned on their lids showing locations of the different painted garbage cans.

There will be 12 of these garbage cans throughout the Millican-Ogden-Lynnwood community once the art project is completed. CHELSEY MUTTER / LIVEWIRE

Painted garbage cans are already popping up and residents can expect all 12 to be completed by the end of August.

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