Amid Pride flag controversy, new Burlington rainbow crosswalk going beside Halton Catholic District School Board head office
Pride flags were not permitted to be raised at Halton Catholic District School Board facilities, but there will soon be a rainbow crosswalk directly beside the board's office.
The City of Burlington approved $50,000 for the installation of three rainbow crosswalks around the city. The three locations, to be implemented by the end of the year, are Upper Middle Road at the M.M. Robinson School entrance, Plains Road West and Botanical Drive, and at Fairview Street and Drury Lane directly outside the office of the HCDSB.
In a contentious vote that drew attention from well outside the region, the HCDSB decided in April of this year it would not be permitting rainbow Pride flags to be flown at their facilities.
The selection of the crosswalk locations follows a survey put out by the city in May in which the overwhelming top selection by responders was for the rainbow crosswalk to be placed at the HCDSB office location.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said the city is following what its residents requested through the survey and placed the new crosswalks at the top three voted-for locations.
We heard from a lot of Catholic parents, students, teachers and a few trustees who also supported the location that was suggested the most in the survey. An overwhelming majority of residents do as well; however, we understand a few disagree," said Meed Ward.
The crosswalk survey was filled out over 4,000 times - a significant response for a city-run survey. It was opened roughly a month after the board made its Pride flag decision.
In June, when council voted to support the funding for the new crosswalks, there was discussion of whether the Fairview Street and Drury Lane crosswalk was a direct response to the Pride flag decision. Many of the comments entered along with the survey directly referenced the flag decision for their location selection.
Coun. Paul Sharman said during the June discussion that he was uncomfortable with what he felt was a calling out of the HCDSB.
I totally support the deployment of symbols of support," said Sharman. I do not believe we should be calling out people, especially respected organizations that make a contribution to our community."
The city installed its first rainbow crosswalk in 2020 on Lakeshore Road at the base of Burlington Avenue.
The rainbow crosswalks are intended by the city to be a show of support for the city's 2SLGBTQIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) community.
Patrick Murphy, HCDSB chair, said he believes the rainbow crosswalk outside the board office dovetails nicely with the board's initiatives to nurture a safe and inclusive learning environment.
I commend the City of Burlington for their efforts to build a compassionate, caring community. A rainbow crosswalk at the corner of Fairview and Drury Lane will serve as a visual reminder of our collective commitment to ensuring that the 2SLGBTQ+ members of our community feel valued, welcomed and respected," said Murphy.
The move also received support from the Halton Parents for Change organization. That organization is made up of parents from the HCDSB who came together in response to the Pride flag decision.
Lauren Wallis, with the Halton Parents for Change, said they applaud the city's decision and see it as adding more visibility for the 2SLGBTQ+ community while fostering an attitude of love and acceptance. We hope that HCDSB will use this as an opportunity to grow and improve their attitudes in the future."
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: The decision by the HCDSB not to allow Pride flags at its facilities has continued to be a source of contention within the region. When news of the rainbow crosswalk outside the board office went public, we wanted to know if this move was another direct response to the board's decision.