Regina’s first rainbow crosswalk vandalized

Black tire skid marks marred Regina’s first permanent rainbow crosswalk Tuesday afternoon — less than 24 hours after it was painted on Aerodrome Road.

“The Rainbow Crosswalk painted by students at École Harbour Landing School demonstrates their honest desire to make all students, residents and visitors in the Harbour Landing community feel like they belong, like they are welcome and that they are safe,” wrote Regina Public Schools spokesperson Terry Lazarou in an email Tuesday afternoon.

“Vandalism to a crosswalk, or to any public structure in a community, demonstrates one individual’s fundamental disrespect and disregard for that community and its residents.”

According to Ward 2 Councillor Bob Hawkins, students from the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance club received unanimous approval from Regina city council last fall to paint the crosswalk; it’s the first of four to be implemented around the city.

After paint brushes were put away Monday afternoon, Hawkins admired the students’ work and told 980 CJME he didn’t anticipate there would be any negativity around it.

“There’s no point in vandalism. There’s strong support and we’ll all make sure that this is kept up and kept safe,” he said, noting the city looked at the vandalism cases in Saskatoon and Swift Current before giving the crosswalk approval.

With some donated paint leftover from the project, École Harbour Landing School is hoping to try to cover up the skid marks the best as possible.