Squamish is a little bit more colourful this week after unique crosswalks were painted downtown.
The new rainbow crosswalks on Cleveland Avenue aim to support the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited community in Squamish as well as those who visit, according to Mayor Patricia Heintzman.
Council unanimously supported the bright, eight-striped crosswalks in January after Adriana Smith, of Safe ’n’ Sound Squamish proposed the idea.
“There was a real impetus to talk about diversity and tolerance and inclusion,” Heintzman recalled when she spoke of the crosswalks from her office Monday morning.
The painting project was worked in to the already planned beautification and infrastructure upgrade of Cleveland Avenue, Heintzman said.
The paint is longer lasting than usual paint, she said, so the crosswalks should not need repainting for a decade.
The company who did the paint job, Sutton Road Marking, also did crosswalks in downtown Victoria last year, according to the company.
The final tally for the painting of the rainbow crosswalks was $15,800. The new Eye of the Creator crosswalk, painted south of the rainbows and stretching across Cleveland to Stan Clarke Park cost $12,683.
For the woman who first proposed the crosswalks, seeing them come to life was a thrill.
“We have now declared Squamish to be safe and accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, both here and abroad,” said Smith, on seeing the freshly painted crossings.
“Sitting on the deck of the Copper Coil [Still & Grill], I watched the lovely fellows from Sutton Road Marking create a work of art…. As the colours dried and tape was removed, they allowed people to dance, take pictures and even sit in the middle of the road. Kids and tourists were beaming ear to ear. Stories of support and connection were traded.”
Heintzman said form, function and aesthetics ideally should go together and that is the idea behind all the creative crossings.
“There’s a British furniture maker, William Morris, he basically had the philosophy there’s no point in doing something just form and there’s no point in doing something just for aesthetic value, you need to do both,” she said.
Another benefit, Heintzman added, is that the crosswalks make people smile.
“You watch the kids crossing and they are happy, it is just about creating some pride and aesthetic value to our downtown core.”
Smith said she couldn’t be happier with how the rainbow crosswalks turned out.
“This crosswalk will stand for many years to come as a symbol of love and acceptance. That’s my Squamish,” she said.
