Hamilton·Video

Hamilton neighbours transform sidewalk into rainbow celebrating Pride Month

A box of brightly-coloured chalk and some help from her neighbours is all Kimberly Garrod needed to turn the drab sidewalk in front of her Hamilton home into a rainbow.

There's been 'a lot of honking, waving, cheering. People come by just to see it,' says Kimberly Garrod

Neighbours on the Mountain used chalk to turn their sidewalk into a rainbow celebrating Pride Month. (Supplied by Kimberly Garrod)

A box of brightly-coloured chalk and some help from her neighbours is all Kimberly Garrod needed to transform the drab sidewalk in front of her Hamilton home into a rainbow.

The vivid display is a visible celebration of Pride Month and runs for at least 15 metres through their neighbourhood on the Mountain.

"We wanted to show support," Garrod explained. "There's a lot of kids in the neighbourhood and it shows them that there's a safe space, if need be."

"And it's fun and it's bright and it's Pride Month," she added with a laugh.

Garrod moved to Hamilton about a year ago with her wife.

When the couple saw a Pride flag go up in their neighbourhood earlier this month, they began to fly their own.

Then Garrod got creative.

Watch | Here's how a sidewalk became a rainbow:

Hamilton neighbours transformed their sidewalk into a rainbow for Pride Month

3 years ago
Duration 0:48
Kimberly Garrod started colouring the pavement and was soon joined by her neighbours. Now bright chalk covers nearly a block between their homes on the Mountain.

Using sidewalk chalk, she began coating each square of cement in a layer of red, blue, orange and green — all the colours of the rainbow.

Neighbours living on either side of her home soon joined in, covering the pavement in a kaleidoscope running down the block.

The work took them a full afternoon and is still there, though a little faded, a week later.

"So far all of the reactions we had were positive," said Garrod. "A lot of honking, waving, cheering. People come by just to see it, so it's been really good."

While many cities, including Hamilton, have rainbow crosswalks, she said covering the sidewalk in colour was a way to bring the same kind of crossing into her own neighbourhood.

Kimberly Garrod started the rainbow and finished it in an afternoon with the help of some of her neighbours. (Dan Taekema/CBC)

Garrod said she loves the idea of more-permanent rainbow displays being added across the city to show support for the LBGTQ community.

The neighbours are planning to carry out weekly touch-ups each throughout the month in order to keep the rainbow bright.

"It was a lot of fun," said Garrod. "I think we're going to keep doing it, maybe every year."