City of Powell River staff will be producing a report on rainbow crosswalks in the city.
At the July 13 committee of the whole meeting, councillors reviewed correspondence from Rob Hill, who stated he would like to see the city engage with Powell River Pride Society, School District 47 sexual orientation and gender identity committee, youth committees, Tla’amin Nation and other relevant stakeholders on the possibility of a new rainbow crosswalk in the city.
“My hope is that through consultations and community involvement, we can aim to have this new crosswalk implemented by October 11, 2021, which happens to be National Coming Out Day,” stated Hill. “This is an important day for many because it’s the day to remember their own story; however, it’s also to show the LGBTQ2S+ community that coming out doesn’t just mean coming out to everyone, but can also mean coming out to those groups that are safe.”
Hill said he appreciates the rainbow crosswalk in Townsite, but at the same time, would love to see one elsewhere in town. He said while he has suggested possible locations, such as near Westview Elementary School, he also recognizes that it takes a community to decide these things.
“More and more young people are living their true selves and we owe it to them as a city and region to show that we see them, respect them and will protect them,” stated Hill. “While a crosswalk mostly acts as symbolism, it also means we are a community that cares about our LGBTQ2S+ community members.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott said she was guessing that the committee wanted to make a motion to direct staff to come back with a report on what it takes to implement one of these crosswalks.
Councillor Jim Palm said the matter came forward previously and the city painted a crosswalk near the Patricia Theatre.
“That has served the community well in terms of bringing recognition and making our community more inclusive,” said Palm. “I understand from the letter that the design of what they are asking for in a crosswalk is changing because of additional colours. I have noticed that our crosswalk in the Townsite is in dull shape. It’s in the appropriate place and we put it there for a purpose because of the ask at that time. It does need to be redone. I recommend we upgrade our current crosswalk and carry on.”
Mayor Dave Formosa said he didn’t believe council was asked to put the existing crosswalk in. He said he thinks council did that on its own.
“We noticed that couples were moving into Townsite and we thought it would be inclusive and cool to do,” said Formosa. “It got done and people were happy with it. If we upgrade the one that is there, it’s a great location and it’s a place where a lot of people interact. It’s a good place to make the statement and I like the idea of refreshing that one with the new design.
Councillor Rob Southcott said he’d like city staff to reach out to the LGBT2S+ community and see if there is sufficient interest for a crosswalk in Westview, as well.
Elliott said she loves the idea of refreshing and modernizing the crosswalk in Townsite, and she thinks the request was to also implement something in Westview, so perhaps staff could come back with a recommendation about what it would take to do both.
The committee gave unanimous consent for a staff report.
