Close X
Friday, November 29, 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

    PICS: Justin Trudeau Visits India's Famed Taj Mahal With Family In Tow

    PICS: Justin Trudeau Visits India's Famed Taj Mahal With Family In Tow
    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began the first full day of his week-long trip to India by taking a tour of the famed Taj Mahal, followed by a visit to an elephant rescue sanctuary north of Agra.

    PICS: Justin Trudeau Visits India's Famed Taj Mahal With Family In Tow

    SEE PICS: Justin Trudeau's Son Hadrien Trudeau Arrives To Steal The Show On Indian Social Media

    SEE PICS: Justin Trudeau's Son Hadrien Trudeau Arrives To Steal The Show On Indian Social Media
    Hadrien Did His Best To Steal The Show, Making Off Down The Red Carpet With The Flowers Handed To His Father By An Indian Official, Leaving The Rest Of His Family To Manage The Receiving Line.

    SEE PICS: Justin Trudeau's Son Hadrien Trudeau Arrives To Steal The Show On Indian Social Media

    Namaste India: Justin Trudeau Arrives In New Delhi With Family For Week-Long State Visit

    Namaste India: Justin Trudeau Arrives In New Delhi With Family For Week-Long State Visit
    The seven-day Indian state visit is a mix of business meetings, round tables on education, women’s rights and human rights, tours of popular Indian sites and a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Namaste India: Justin Trudeau Arrives In New Delhi With Family For Week-Long State Visit

    Sentencing Hearing For Former Surrey Sikh Temple President Baldev Singh Kalsi

    Sentencing Hearing For Former Surrey Sikh Temple President Baldev Singh Kalsi
    Baldev Singh Kalsi, former president of Gurudwara Sahib Brookside temple, who was charged with attempted murder of his wife, Narinder Kalsi, is facing his sentencing hearing

    Sentencing Hearing For Former Surrey Sikh Temple President Baldev Singh Kalsi

    Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi Says To Ignore John Horgan Over Trans Mountain

    Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says the right strategy in the dispute between Alberta and B.C. over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is to ignore Premier John Horgan.

    Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi Says To Ignore John Horgan Over Trans Mountain

    Property Crime Down, Violent Crime Up In Vancouver

    Property Crime Down, Violent Crime Up In Vancouver
    Vancouver police say there was a 1.5 per cent decrease in the overall crime rate last year in the city compared with 2016 but the violent crime rate was up 1.9 per cent.

    Property Crime Down, Violent Crime Up In Vancouver