Arnprior Town Council has gone half-way to meeting a request from the local PRIDE and PFlag Committees for a Rainbow crosswalk and a Trans crosswalk in the community.
At the municipal meeting Monday it was decided the former will be sanctioned, for the intersection of John Street and Elgin Street- but the trans crosswalk, in white, pink and blue for John and Madawaska wouldn’t fly.
A staff report presented by Operations Manager John Steckley indicates that the installation of a longitudinal design conforms with the Ontario Traffic Manual, and can be completed by a firm with expertise in the process, for an estimated two thousand dollars per occasion.
The funds would be raised by the organization at no cost to the municipality and the staff report suggests the crosswalk would need repainting annually.
Councillor Lynn Grinstead’s position that she wasn’t convinced a trans crosswalk was as inclusionary as its Rainbow companion was echoed by others of her peers.
While Councillor Lisa McGee suggested the Town was behind the 8-ball versus Pembroke and Carleton Place in embracing the Rainbow concept, it now had a chance to be ahead of the curve.
Elected representatives devoted thirty-six minutes of their two-hour and ten minute meeting to the topic, and some of the conjecture was out of this world.
Chief Administrative Officer Robin Paquette indicates the Town has no plans for a formal agreement on the crosswalk, other than to invoice PRIDE and Pflag for its completion- sometime the week of June 21st.