Rainbow crosswalk in Cambridge painted over
The rainbow crosswalk in Cambridge that was accidentally painted over. (Stef Davis/CTV News)
The City of Cambridge says a rainbow crosswalk at Wellington and Dickson streets was painted over in error.
According to the City of Cambridge, the crosswalk – which is seen as a show of support for LGBTQ2S+ people – was painted over by an external contractor in error, and work would begin to restore the rainbow crosswalk Wednesday night.
“Certainly it took staff and council by surprise this morning. Unfortunately, as our staff were reviewing some of the work that went on last night in terms of line painting and road painting they came across where the contractor had inadvertently covered our rainbow crosswalk,” Hardy Bromberg, City of Cambridge deputy city manager of community development said. “Certainly what I think is really important here is that I want to apologize to our community for any hurt that we may have caused. It certainly is no reflection of how the team or the city here feels and we’re working hard with the contractor to rectify this to our 2SLGBTQ+ community.”
The painting over happened the night before the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
The city said the contractor will cover all costs related towards bringing back the rainbow crosswalk as it once was.
“Certainly again I’d like to reiterate – because I think myself and staff certainly want to apologize to our community for any hurt that we may have caused. Certainly, it was completely unintentional but we do feel a bit of the pain and I think it’s up to us and the onus is on us and staff to ensure that we get this rectified as soon as possible,” Bromberg said.
On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Cambridge said in part: “This situation came as a surprise to both staff and Council and is in no way reflective of how the City feels about the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Regardless of responsibility, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred.”
“We look forward to refreshing our rainbow crosswalk as our continued show of support and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community in time for Pride Month in June,” the city said in a tweet on Wednesday.
According to the city, the crosswalk was painted in November of 2020.
“Extensive public consultation took place to better understand the community’s collective vision and determine the most appropriate location for the rainbow crosswalk,” the city said at the time. “The intersection at Dickson Street and Wellington Street was chosen in part for its visibility in downtown Cambridge and proximity to City Hall, incorporating inclusive values into our civic spaces.”
By Thursday morning, the rainbow crosswalk had been restored.
The rainbow crosswalk at the corner of Wellington and Dickson streets in Cambridge is seen on May 18, 2023. (Daniel Caudle/CTV Kitchener)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
