'For solidarity': Williams Lake joins B.C. communities showing Pride with rainbow crosswalk
'We've waited a long time,' says Pride Committee president after council votes unanimously for installation
The Pride Committee in Williams Lake, B.C., will be adding a bit of colour to the city to promote awareness of the LGBT community.
The committee appeared before city council Tuesday night to propose a rainbow crosswalk as a permanent way to make the city's acceptance of the LGBT community more visible.
"We had a wonderful result, a unanimous decision to support the crosswalk installation," Pride Committee president Willa Julius told Shelley Joyce, host of CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.
"A lot of them were saying that it's time. We've waited a long time compared to a lot of the communities around here. It's time to install the crosswalk for solidarity."
Four rainbow crosswalks have been placed in other B.C. communities this year, including one at the Kamloops airport that was approved in April.
Julius started the Pride Committee less than a year ago and has been actively working to promote inclusivity in the city, which she feels is a place "known to rally together when there is a noble cause."
The cost of the crosswalk, including the paint, annual upkeep and a celebration ceremony, would total about $2,000. Julius said support from the community's local businesses and fundraising has covered that cost completely.
She said committee members are ready to show off their colours openly with the celebration of the crosswalk and at the Williams Lake Stampede parade on June 30.
"It provides that visibility for the members of the community that may be closeted or not known, it just gives them that little piece of hope that they may need."
To hear the full interview listen to media below:
With files from Daybreak Kamloops