Chilliwack – At the Tuesday afternoon session of Chilliwack Council, Amber Price with Rainbow Crosswalk for Chilliwack was ecstatic over a new motion regarding a Downtown Rainbow Cross Walk.
Perhaps not a crosswalk at all. Perhaps looking for new ways of celebrating inclusion.
Councillor Bud Mercer put forward a motion for staff to investigate the ways that other cities have celebrated and included diversity in their policies. Public art has been used in many communities, and not necessarily a cross walk.
Mayor Ken Popove took this motion a step further with an amendment to create an Inclusion, Accessibility and Diversity Committee.
Back in August, Hope District also took a look at a crosswalk (for 4th Avenue and Park Street) and discussed other artistic alternatives. You can see that discussion below around the 20:00 minute mark.
Just a quick Google search and you can easily find a number of public art ideas.
Later the same day, Chilliwack School Board voted 4-3 to approve a rainbow crosswalk at the School Board Office on Cessna. The three against were also the staunch anti-SOGI trustees, Maahs, Neufeld and Ferguson with Chair Coulter, Trustees Reichelt, Swanky and Mumford in favour.
Sto:lo elder and LGBTQ2 advocate Louis De Jaeger posted to Facebook: The Chilliwack School Board has just moved in line with First Nations in support of LGBTQ2 crosswalks. Our schools now recognize and supports safe places for our kids. Chi-Meegwetch \0/
The video is below with the discussion starting at the 45:00 mark.
