You’re beautiful, Barrie!
And you’re getting better every year... our beloved little bedroom city is more cultured and diverse- more inclusive and comfortable- than ever! Nowhere is this more evident than in the growing Barrie Pride organization, and the LGBTQ2S+ community around which it is built.

We’ve come a long way! Thank you for growing alongside us, and for helping us develop a meaningful relationship to our city: with more important support and services; a better network of businesses; and a warm community of wonderful, compassionate people.

There is something you can do though. One small gesture that would make a huge impact on the social landscape here in Barrie, and would see us join the ranks of other progressive Canadian cities in this expression of equality, acceptance and unity…

And it is called the Rainbow Crosswalk.

Much like it sounds, crosswalks at popular intersections are replaced with rainbow walkways painted on the street surface. Not only does the rainbow represent the LGBTQ2S+ movement, but it adds a colourful and vibrant touch to the usual city streets.

Rainbow crosswalks can be found in Ottawa and Toronto- here in Ontario- as well as in Montreal, Halifax, Edmonton and Vancouver. Even some communities smaller than Barrie have followed suit, including: Woodstock, New Brunswick; Lethbridge, Alberta; and in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. They can be found all over the world, in fact.

So please join us in proposing to our mayor, Jeff Lehman, and the Barrie City Council that: we, the people of Barrie and proud supporters of the LGBTQ2S+ community, respectfully and enthusiastically request the installation of painted Rainbow Crosswalks at a few of the most prominent Downtown intersections: at the historic Five Points, of course; also at Bayfield and Simcoe, and at the pedestrian crosswalk in front of Heritage Park.

At an estimated cost of less than three one-hundreths of one percent of this year’s projected infrastructure spending for the city of Barrie- roughly a tenth of the price paid for the “Spirit Catcher” sculpture back in 1986- we hope you agree that the Rainbow Crosswalks, and the show of support for a strong demographic and an increasingly popular city event, is not asking too much. It truly is the thought, in this case, which counts more than the price tag.

Sincerely,
The Barrie Pride Family