When Dan Faassen opened his gift shop in the heart of Mission on Wednesday morning, he noticed something different outside the store.

“I wasn’t really sure what it was,” said Faassen, the owner of Kricket’s.

Someone had placed a small handmade bench outside of Faassen’s store. It was painted blue and covered with yellow polka dots of varying sizes. The colourful words “this bench was made for you with love” were painted on the bench’s seat.

In recent months, similar benches have inexplicably been popping up outside Calgary businesses, offering busy people a place to slow down and have a seat, and leaving store owners both puzzled and grateful.

Once Faassen examined the bench closer, he “felt excited and honoured.”

“It was a sign that there are still good people in this world,” he said.

The hashtag #haveaseat was painted on the mysterious bench and Faassen’s attempts to use social media to find out who was behind the project were futile.

But, a short typed note attached to the bench offered a clue. Addressed to Kricket’s and signed from “The Bench Project,” the note states the project “intends to create space for Calgarians to have a seat and enjoy our city.”

The note asks the store to pass the bench on to a neighbouring business if they don’t want it.

“We’ll definitely keep it out there,” Faassen said. “My only concern is I hope someone doesn’t steal it or trash it.”

Faassen isn’t the only Calgary business owner who has been pleasantly surprised, and a bit perplexed, to find a new bench outside his shop.

John Fleck, co-owner of Epiphanie Chocolate on 11th Street. S.W., said a painted blue bench was quietly placed near his store and a neighbouring grocery store earlier this summer.

While the bench recently disappeared for a few weeks, it returned, and it continues to get used often, Fleck said.

“It gives people a chance to sit and look around and see what’s around,” he said. “It adds a sense of community.”

While the bench outside Fleck’s store re-appeared, a blue bench placed outside Leo Boutique in late June disappeared a few weeks later and it still hasn’t been returned.

Cornelia Wiebe, the co-owner of Leo Boutique, a fashion store near 17th Avenue, said staff were excited when they first noticed the bench, and at an impromptu store meeting they discussed whether they should bring the bench in at night to ensure it wasn’t stolen.

“We all agreed that it was brought to us mysteriously, quietly and it was such a wonderful surprise to see it there. It was meant to be a community thing and we decided to let it be,” Wiebe said.

When the bench disappeared a few weeks later staff figured either it had been stolen or moving it was part of the project and they hoped for the latter.

“We were sad. It was like oh, I guess that’s it. It’s the end of that story,” she said.

Wiebe, Fleck and Faassen all said they have no idea who the creator behind the adorable benches is, but each Calgary small business owner expressed delight at The Bench Project’s mysterious initiative.

“It’s cool that someone would take the time to do that,” Faassen said.

A Google search of the Bench Project nets little, besides a blog post from 17th avenue shop Blame Betty, showing photos of a surprise bench that was placed outside their store in June and asking for information about the people behind “this amazing work.”

The Bench Project has a Twitter account and tweets boast of upcoming “bench bombings,” show photos of colourful benches, and state the project believes people need more free ways to enjoy the public realm.

“Take a moment, have a seat and experience your city,” reads The Bench Project’s bio.

AKlingbeil@calgaryherald.com

Twitter.com/AnnaliseAK