Once again, the Niagara-on-the-Lake rainbow crosswalk at Anderson Lane has been vandalized.
It’s the third time it has been defaced since it was installed in time for Pride Month in June, only this time, in addition to tire marks, there is profanity painted in large letters as well.
Town staff are investigating, says CAO Marnie Cluckie, as are police, who were notified Sunday evening after staff were alerted to the incident by a resident.
A formal police report was filed Monday morning.
“I was deeply disappointed and saddened to learn about the recent act of vandalism on the town’s rainbow crosswalk,” says Cluckie.
The first time the crosswalk was defaced with circular ATV tire marks was less than a week after its installation, after two years of discussion, across the road used to access the NOTL Public Library and the community centre.
The second time was before the town had time to clean it, and included the use of tar.
A short time later a15-year-old boy from St. Catharines was identified as the suspect. He wasn’t charged criminally, but rather introduced to the “extrajudicial measures program” because of his age, police said.
In just a couple of days after a story about the second act of vandalism in The Local was published and posted on its Village Media website and Facebook page, it received more than 180 comments, a mixture of some extremely supportive of the crosswalk and others very strongly outspoken in displeasure at the installation.
That was about two months ago, and since then, letters to the editor in opposition and to town councillors have continued.
“The rainbow crosswalk is an important symbol of diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance in our community,” continued Cluckie Monday morning.
“This act of vandalism attempts to diminish the spirit of unity the crosswalk represents. It is disheartening to witness such acts in our community, but I hope we will join together as a community once again and not allow such incidents to discourage us.”
The appropriate measures will be taken “to promptly clean the crosswalk, ensuring that it can continue to stand as a powerful symbol of unity and acceptance for all,” Cluckie added.
Town staff discovered the act of vandalism when a resident contacted them Sunday evening, she said. “Upon review of the security footage yesterday, it appears that the vandalism occurred shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday.”
Unfortunately, she added, “it seems that the vandals may have first painted over the security camera.”
The vandalism and the people who caused it, can’t be seen on the video, she said. “Town staff are currently investigating this further. It is disheartening that this incident has occurred, but we will remain steadfast in our commitment to collectively work towards a more compassionate and inclusive future.”
Coun. Maria Mavridis, who was alerted to the vandalism later Sunday, said she called Betty Disero, who walks her mother’s dog in that area regularly, to have a look, which she did.
Disero said she had walked there with Bella at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, and didn’t see any damage to the crosswalk then, but it was evident when she went back later to check. “It’s difficult to understand why people are so determined to do something like this,” she said, “but we live in a world with a lot of anger.”
“Who goes out of their way to do something like that?” asks Mavridis, including spraying the camera the town installed in June.
She speaks of the emails she’s received as a councillor, from people who are angered by the crosswalk. They often mention taxpayers’ dollars being spent on it.
“It cost each taxpayer 86 cents,” Mavridis said. “I’m going to round it up to $1, and tell anyone who wants their money back to come and get it. I’ll give them a loonie.”
She’s surprised by the issues residents get angry about, including a sidewalk on Andres Street, where she lives, that has been installed for safety reasons, and paid for by development charges, not by taxpayers. Some don’t like the sidewalk, others are angry about the side of the street where it’s been installed.
“Every time we try to do something, someone’s going to be angry. There are 19,000 people living here. We can’t make everybody happy.”
The rainbow crosswalk, she says, “represents a small community within our community. Why is that a bad thing? It isn’t. People need to look inside themselves.”
The profanity written on the crosswalk, with a four-letter word followed by U, “is not saying that just to that small community, it’s saying it to the entire community.”
It’s especially difficult to hear comments and receive emails to opposition to the crosswalk from people she has liked and respected, she adds. “That makes it even harder, when you know it’s coming from people in this community. Let’s just be accepting and move on.”
Mavridis speaks of other communities that are dealing with issues such as the opioid crisis and homelessness, problems of which NOTL sees very little.
“How lucky are we to live in this town, not dealing with drug issues or getting people off the street.”
When the biggest problem is a colourful sidewalk, “we need to remember how lucky we are.”
And although Mavridis said realizes her words won’t change anybody’s mind, she added, “it’s not their mind that needs changing. It’s their heart.”
