The City of Cambridge says it will repaint the colours on its rainbow crosswalk tonight after one of its contractors painted over the crosswalk in error last night.
In a post to its Twitter and Facebook accounts, the city says the restoration work at the Dickson Street crossing will be done immediately after the crosswalk was painted over in error by an external contractor painting crosswalk lines on city streets.
"We look forward to refreshing our rainbow crosswalk as our continued show of support and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community in time for Pride Month in June," reads the tweet.
A number of events are planned in downtown Cambridge to celebrate Pride Month.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the city issued a statement apologizing for what happened and confirming the work to restore the crosswalk colours will be done as soon as possible by the contractor that painted over it.
"This situation came as a surprise to both staff and council and is in no way reflective of how the City feels about the 2SLGBTQ+ community," reads the statement from the city. "Regardless of responsibility, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred."
"Unfortunately, the timing of this incident coincides with an important day in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Today marks the 19th International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia which is about raising awareness of violence, discrimination, and repression of 2SLGBTQ+ communities worldwide. Days like today provide an opportunity to act and engage in dialogue with the media, policymakers, and our community. The City of Cambridge is committed to protecting and advancing 2SLGBTQI+ rights. It is with genuine remorse and reflection that we want to acknowledge how harmful the timing of this situation could be to some individuals."
The city says the contracted company, Pavement Marking division of Guild Electric Ltd., will begin work tonight to restore the rainbow crosswalk at no cost to taxpayers.
The restoration is weather-dependent, however, and forecasted cold temperatures may cause delay.
The city says the company is looking for ways to mitigate this and rectify the situation as quickly as possible.
"The City of Cambridge is committed to creating an inclusive community free from discrimination and prejudice. As we look forward to celebrating Pride month in June, we will use today as an opportunity to reflect on our role in preventing situations like this from happening in the future. In the meantime, the City is pleased to refresh our rainbow crosswalk to demonstrate our continued support and acceptance for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Cambridge and sees this as an opportunity to continue to learn and grow as an organization."
The crosswalk was installed in November 2020 following extensive community consultation.
"The intersection at Dickson Street and Wellington Street was chosen in part for its visibility in downtown Cambridge and proximity to City Hall, incorporating inclusive values into our civic spaces," reads the city's website.
"The City of Cambridge joins many other municipalities throughout Canada in displaying this permanent show of support and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community and remains committed to pursuing opportunities to showcase our diversity."
