THUNDER BAY – The city’s first rainbow and transgender crosswalks were controversial enough to begin with.
Just hours after it was completed at the intersection of Bay and Algoma streets last Thursday, the complaints from within began flooding Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch’ng’s inbox.
It seems there just wasn’t enough colour, and far too much grey pavement showing, to satisfy the public.
Ch’ng said they took the complaints seriously, and over the weekend, made adjustments to the rainbow crosswalk, widening the colour stripes to make it pop off the street as originally planned.
A similar enhancement is planned for the nearby transgender crosswalk, but it will take time for the additional colour strips, which have to be heat blasted in place, arrive. The city and contractor used colour strips on hand for a second rainbow crosswalk on Donald Street, outside of city hall, to make the fix on the first one.
It was unfortunate, Ch’ng said.
“Unfortunately the rainbow segments, after much community feedback, it was felt more colour needed to be added to the crosswalks,” she said on Monday.
“Administration was very responsive. The contractor was responsive as well and the following day the colour that was going to be used at Donald and May streets was actually put down at the corner here at Bay and Algoma streets. Unfortunately we didn’t have the materials on hand ... to do the trans crosswalk segments.”
However, Ch’ng said she’s confirmed with the city’s engineering department that the materials for both remaining crosswalks have been ordered and both should be completed in the coming weeks.
The total cost for the project is estimated at $28,000, with the contractor, North-West Lines, committing to half the cost and both the city and Thunder Pride Association splitting the remainder 50-50.
“You should see in about three weeks time the materials come in and hopefully the contractor will be back as soon as possible to make the changes,” Ch’ng said.
The second term city councillor said she’s not sure how the project got to this point, saying she put the motion forward to help get the ball rolling, but wasn’t privy to the design,
“I didn’t see the technical drawings. I’m not an engineer. I’m just happy I can use my influence to help rectify this for the community,” she said.
Ch’ng added she doesn’t expect the additional work will add to the cost of the project.
