Close X
Monday, November 4, 2024
ADVT 
National

Rejected Rainbow Crosswalk In Merritt, B.C., Sparks Broader Community Support

The Canadian Press, 08 Mar, 2018 11:54 AM
    MERRITT, B.C. — A decision by city council to reject a proposed rainbow crosswalk near a school in Merritt, B.C., has led community members to offer other locations for the colourful symbol of inclusion, says a high school teacher involved in the project.
     
     
    Students in LGBTQ and Indigenous clubs at Merritt Secondary have been planning for years to have a crosswalk painted to promote inclusivity, but when the school district took the proposal to the city last week it was voted down by council.
     
     
    Teacher Kati Spencer said she and the students were disappointed and frustrated at first.
     
     
    "I had some righteous anger. Let's put it that way," she said. "We had so much support from the school board ... we took it for granted that it was going to happen."
     
     
    The school district offered to pay for the rainbow's installation and upkeep, and city staff recommended that council approve the proposal.
     
     
    Mayor Neil Menard told council he was concerned that approving the rainbow crosswalk would set a precedent for other groups such as the hockey team and Rotary Club to request sidewalks or crosswalks be painted to reflect their organizations.
     
     
    "I'm a bit worried that it may open a kind of a Pandora's box for something like this, so I don't support it. I can't support it," he said.
     
     
    Asked in an interview if the decision could be interpreted as rejecting inclusivity, Menard said: "It has nothing to do with their lifestyle."
     
     
    "That's their lifestyle and that's all well and good, but they don't have to take that ... and make it obvious within the community, and push it on everybody else," he said.
     
     
    "We're not exclusive of groups. It's a good city. We've got great citizens. We've got a lot of citizens that don't support that and didn't want any crosswalks to be painted. They think it's a distraction. They think it's dangerous for drivers." 
     
     
    While students may have lost the battle for the crosswalk, their efforts have gained wider support, Spencer said.
     
     
    "This is now bigger than we imagined," she said. "Coming out of this has actually been amazing, because it made all the support visible."
     
     
    A house across the street from the school has been adorned with rainbow curtains, a bakery offered to make rainbow cookies to take to city hall and a store began painting a rainbow outside the property, Spencer said.
     
     
    Lawyers Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko also offered parking lots they own in the city's downtown core for the students to paint.
     
     
    "The rainbow has taken on a bigger meaning than just support or gay pride — it's now we love you and accept you whoever you are," Lee said.
     
     
    Spencer said students were beaming when they saw Lee's offer posted on Twitter.
     
     
    They already had a contingency plan in place to paint a rainbow on school property if the city didn't approve the crosswalk.
     
     
    Spencer said they intend to make the installation of a rainbow walkway at the school a celebration. They're also going to discuss the parking lot option with the school board and look at collaborating with as many groups as possible.
     
     
    What's happened has also given the symbol of the rainbow deeper meaning, she said.
     
     
    "Kids in general, they're seeing the town rally behind this and that may help people who feel alienated for any reason feel that, hey, it is safe here."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Coquitlam Police Seek Victims Of Man Who Dated Women, Stole Their Cash

    Coquitlam Police Seek Victims Of Man Who Dated Women, Stole Their Cash
    COQUITLAM, B.C. — Fraud and theft charges have been laid against a 37-year-old British Columbia man accused of swindling money from people he met through online dating sites and dating referral services.

    Coquitlam Police Seek Victims Of Man Who Dated Women, Stole Their Cash

    $1.7M Award For B.C. Couple After Malicious Prosecution By Canada Revenue Agency

    $1.7M Award For B.C. Couple After Malicious Prosecution By Canada Revenue Agency
    A Vancouver Island couple has been awarded nearly $1.7 million in damages after a judge criticized the Canada Revenue Agency for the "ruination" of their business and personal lives by "high-handed

    $1.7M Award For B.C. Couple After Malicious Prosecution By Canada Revenue Agency

    Teenage Girl Dead After Collision Between Semi And School Bus

    Teenage Girl Dead After Collision Between Semi And School Bus
    REDWATER, Alta. — A teenage girl died Wednesday after a collision between a school bus and a semi truck north of Edmonton.

    Teenage Girl Dead After Collision Between Semi And School Bus

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To U.S. Terror Charges In Alleged Murder Conspiracy

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To U.S. Terror Charges In Alleged Murder Conspiracy
    An Edmonton man pleaded guilty Tuesday to U.S. charges that he sent money and provided long-distance support to Tunisian jihadists believed responsible for a 2009 suicide attack in Iraq that killed five American soldiers.

    Canadian Man Pleads Guilty To U.S. Terror Charges In Alleged Murder Conspiracy

    Event Was Cancelled: Woman Charged After Threat To Nudist Swim At Calgary Pool

    Event Was Cancelled: Woman Charged After Threat To Nudist Swim At Calgary Pool
    A woman has been charged in relation to a threat made over a nudist swim at a Calgary public swimming pool that was cancelled due to security concerns.

    Event Was Cancelled: Woman Charged After Threat To Nudist Swim At Calgary Pool

    Study Says B.C. Women More Stressed By Finances Than Women Elsewhere In Canada

    Study Says B.C. Women More Stressed By Finances Than Women Elsewhere In Canada
    A new report from Canada's largest community credit union says more than half of women in British Columbia experience "extreme emotional stress" when considering their financial situation.

    Study Says B.C. Women More Stressed By Finances Than Women Elsewhere In Canada