Group advocating for rainbow crosswalk in Chilliwack not giving up
Posted September 4, 2019 8:48 pm.
Last Updated September 4, 2019 8:53 pm.
CHILLIWACK (NEWS 1130) — The group lobbying for a rainbow crosswalk in Chilliwack says the decision to deny it is disappointing, but they aren’t giving up.
City council shot down a request to paint a crosswalk at a meeting Tuesday night, with some calling it too ‘divisive’ and ‘political.’
Amber Price, who was lobbying for the crosswalk, says there’s clearly support for the idea.
“The petition that we handed in was formidable; there were over 100 letters, there were 18 letters of support from businesses, there were 750 signatures,” she says.
RELATED: No to the rainbow: Chilliwack city council denies request for crosswalk in support of LGBTQ community
She admits supporters of the crosswalk were left heart-broken when the decision came down.
“I think for some people, it’s very triggering. People have been through tremendous abuse simply because they’re gay or they’re bi or they’re transgender. People have so much of their personal lives invested in this, and they just wanted to be recognized,” she says.
RELATED: Richmond gets its first rainbow crosswalk in time for Pride week
She says the next step is appealing to the province, hoping the government could amend an existing law that deals with city crosswalks.
“I think that it might be time for an amendment to that document. I feel that if that document is amended to include rainbow crosswalks, that that will set the precedent for the entire province and certainly would carry a lot of weight in overturning our municipal bylaw that makes rainbow crosswalks impossible,” she says.
All but one councillor voted down the idea, with most citing a 2017 bylaw that prohibits crosswalks painted to support religious or political ideas.
