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• Share Please create accessible parks! on Facebook Share Please create accessible parks! on Twitter Share Please create accessible parks! on Linkedin Email Please create accessible parks! link

  Please create accessible parks!

  by vanessamcleod, almost 5 years ago
  I was born and raised in Chilliwack and have lived here my entire life! In February 2019 my youngest daughter Ivy was born. She is a congenital amputee, and has shown me from day one that she has unparalleled zest for life and an adventurous, fearless spirit. She absolutely loves to play and we’ve been visiting local parks since she was only a few months old. But I’ve quickly learned that our parks are not accessible, particularly when it comes to wood chips. I understand that it’s likely the most affordable option, but wood chips are NOT accessible. It’s difficult... Continue reading

  I was born and raised in Chilliwack and have lived here my entire life! In February 2019 my youngest daughter Ivy was born. She is a congenital amputee, and has shown me from day one that she has unparalleled zest for life and an adventurous, fearless spirit. She absolutely loves to play and we’ve been visiting local parks since she was only a few months old. But I’ve quickly learned that our parks are not accessible, particularly when it comes to wood chips. I understand that it’s likely the most affordable option, but wood chips are NOT accessible. It’s difficult enough to push a stroller over wood chips, let alone a child push themselves in a wheelchair. But it also presents a challenge to kids with various mobility issues, including kids who use walkers, ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), lifted shoes, or kids who prefer to crawl or scoot. It’s an uneven, unstable surface that makes it even more difficult to balance on. In the case of my daughter, who was born without hands, she uses her feet as her hands and often goes barefoot because of this. But with the risk of slivers from the wood chips, she can’t be comfortable. Our parks have a very long way to go to become inclusive for ALL children. Accessibility is a human right and it is sadly being denied to so many children in Chilliwack right now. Take a look at our parks, and try to see them through a lense of disability. Can ALL children truly ENGAGE, play, and be included? Can they truly play with their peers without facing barriers? Sadly, the answer is no. And a great place to start is by removing wood chips, especially from local neighbourhood parks and school parks.
• Share Hate crime at The Book Man on Facebook Share Hate crime at The Book Man on Twitter Share Hate crime at The Book Man on Linkedin Email Hate crime at The Book Man link

  Hate crime at The Book Man

  by AmberPrice, almost 5 years ago

  We are a designated RCMP Safe Space at The Book Man. We proudly fly a Rainbow Flag outside of our business, and pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive, safe space for our LGBTQ2+ staff, clients and community at large. We fundraise for, and are the official mailing address of the Chilliwack Pride Society.

  Yesterday afternoon, a man approached our front door with speed because of our Rainbow Flag. Our staff member Renee met him at the front door to begin going through the steps of our Covid protocol to be able to welcome him into the store, but was... Continue reading

  We are a designated RCMP Safe Space at The Book Man. We proudly fly a Rainbow Flag outside of our business, and pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive, safe space for our LGBTQ2+ staff, clients and community at large. We fundraise for, and are the official mailing address of the Chilliwack Pride Society.

  Yesterday afternoon, a man approached our front door with speed because of our Rainbow Flag. Our staff member Renee met him at the front door to begin going through the steps of our Covid protocol to be able to welcome him into the store, but was met with a tirade of expletives, bigotry and homophobia. My husband Adam, who works at the bookstore overheard the ruckus, and swiftly made his way to the front of the store to relieve Renee and face this man.
  
  The man told my husband that if he stepped outside of the bookstore he'd smash his f*ggot face in. He threatened to burn our Rainbow Flag, and what's more, to BURN DOWN OUR BUSINESS. He then SPAT at my husband.
  
  We have opened a police file, and have asked for the public's help in identifying this man. THIS is why we need Policy J-10 and J-11 removed from the City of Chilliwack. These policies disallow the flying of Rainbow Flags, or the installation of Rainbow Crosswalks on civic property. By not sending a CLEAR message of inclusion and celebration of our LGBTQ2+ community, these individuals are emboldened by the silence of our leadership. We MUST do better as a city. It is my hope that our leadership will speak directly to this incident.
  
  Hate crimes have no place in the City of Chilliwack.

  1 comment
• Share Parking in Chilliwack for Wheelchair users on Facebook Share Parking in Chilliwack for Wheelchair users on Twitter Share Parking in Chilliwack for Wheelchair users on Linkedin Email Parking in Chilliwack for Wheelchair users link

  Parking in Chilliwack for Wheelchair users

  by JoLynn, about 5 years ago
  

  Good day,

  
  

  I have lived in Chilliwack since 2004 and over the years, my mobility has gradually declined. I now must use a wheelchair full time, but despite this, I am extremely independent. I wish to share my experience with accessible parking in Chilliwack in hopes that myself and others in my situation can enjoy all that Chilliwack has to offer without fear of prejudice and harrassment.

  
  When I first moved here, I was much more mobile than I am now and could get by with assistance from a cane. Over the years, my needs have changed drastically and as... Continue reading

  Good day,

  
  

  I have lived in Chilliwack since 2004 and over the years, my mobility has gradually declined. I now must use a wheelchair full time, but despite this, I am extremely independent. I wish to share my experience with accessible parking in Chilliwack in hopes that myself and others in my situation can enjoy all that Chilliwack has to offer without fear of prejudice and harrassment.

  
  When I first moved here, I was much more mobile than I am now and could get by with assistance from a cane. Over the years, my needs have changed drastically and as stated above, I now find myself a full time wheelchair user. As a result, I needed to upgrade my vehicle and currently drive a van that has been lifted to accommodate an automatic side ramp. My vehicle is obviously converted by Sidewinder and has decals notifying others of the ramp and the need for 8 feet of clearance on the right side. In addition to this, I also have my wheelchair parking placard displayed from my rear view mirror. While I noticed the lack of wheelchair parking across the city (with the exception of very few businesses) when I initially moved here, locating parking has become even more burdensome now that I require a wider stall on a flat surface with a painted median beside it to accommodate the length of my ramp.

  
  

  While I appreciate the efforts that have been made to date, I've noticed many wheelchair accessible spots in Chilliwack are either regular stalls that have been designated with the wheelchair logo, or even if they are true accessible spots, they are only 1 foot wider than "normal" stalls. Additionally, many do not provide a safe conduit to the businesses they are meant to serve, are on uneven or unpaved surfaces, are next to a curb or beside another solid barrier. I can appreciate Chilliwack is an older town and many areas in the downtown area are tightly packed, rendering parking at a premium. That is something I can talk about another time, because today I would like to share my experience with parking in Eagle Landing and how it has affected me.

  
  

  This morning I attended Walmart. In arriving at 1100am, the lot was beginning to get quite full. All the wheelchair spots were full, so I went to a vacant area towards the middle of the lot and parked across two stalls. The stalls are quite narrow, so in order for me to have enough space to deploy my ramp and roll out, I needed to barely park just over the line between the stalls. It appears people see this as a challenge because I have been boxed in many times. I have even had to wait in inclement weather for others to return to their cars just so I can get in mine, once for nearly 40 minutes in the rain. This is especially problematic because of the cost to replace electronic components of the wheelchair that have been damaged by water. I do not receive assistance for these repairs and to give you an idea of costs, the joystick unit alone would cost between $3000-$5000 to replace. While I am grateful to have a job, many disabled people struggle at or below the poverty line and this is an unreachable repair for them.

  Thankfully, this day I was able to return to my van without someone occupying the stall next to me. However once I entered my van and began calling in the ramp, a lady decided to enter the stall beside me by driving through from the opposite side. I like to think she couldn't have seen my decals because she entered the stall from behind. If I needed to exit my van immediately upon entering it, I would have been trapped. This is significant because of what happened next across the street at Life Labs, when I had to exit my van after I had transferred to the drivers seat.

  
  

  I had a 1230 appointment at Life Labs and because I left Walmart early, I arrived by 1145. I was unable to find any wheelchair parking as the lot was very full. I was fortunate to find two spots together outside of Brown's restaurant and parked, exiting my van to get to the lab. This was very dangerous for me because traffic in the lot is tight and awkward. It is filled with often aggressive drivers and I had to navigate speedbumps and the road way before reaching the safety of the sidewalk outside the lab. Following my appointment I returned to my vehicle, deployed my ramp, transferred to the driver seat and suddenly saw a note on my windshield. I am including a photo of what I noticed because the paper is obscuring my windshield and my placard clearly displayed.

  
  

  I was unable to retrieve the note from inside my vehicle so I needed to transfer back to my chair and go to the front of my van to remove it. As I mentioned earlier, the van is raised... so being in a wheelchair makes it impossible to touch the hood, let alone reach something off the windshield. Thankfully, my chair is advanced and can elevate, and I was able to make myself tall enough to grab the note.

  
  

  Here is a photo of the note I took once I was back inside my van:

  
  Today I felt targeted, harassed, embarrassed, and shamed for my disability by an individual I will never be able to talk to because they were not bold enough to leave their contact info. My power was taken away from me again today, and I know this scenario will continue to happen until parking spots are made available for those with customized vehicles. This is the anxiety I face each time I go out in my own community.

  
  

  I share this because I want the author of this note, and anyone else who has perpetrated this passive act of aggression to know that disabled people are valued members of this community. We have the right to use all the unique businesses in Chilliwack as much as the next person. If there are no available designated spots, or if the spots available are obscured by barriers or are too narrow, what is a disabled driver to do?

  
  

  Please Chilliwack.... take this into consideration. I want to remain independent and active, but my options are dwindling.

  
  

  Regards, Jo-Lynn L.
• Share Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk.... four times in a row. on Facebook Share Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk.... four times in a row. on Twitter Share Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk.... four times in a row. on Linkedin Email Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk.... four times in a row. link

  Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk.... four times in a row.

  by AmberPrice, about 5 years ago
  

  Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk...... four times in a row

  When two dear friends of 15 years asked if I would advocate for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street on their behalf, I wholeheartedly threw myself into the task of helping them to feel celebrated and loved in our Historic Downtown. It was 2019, and 43 Rainbow Crosswalks had already been installed across the Province; it was a slam dunk!

  We created a faux rainbow crosswalk with pieces of colourful Bristol board, and invited community members to come down for a photo shoot, each dressed in a solid colour... Continue reading

  Denied a Rainbow Crosswalk...... four times in a row

  When two dear friends of 15 years asked if I would advocate for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street on their behalf, I wholeheartedly threw myself into the task of helping them to feel celebrated and loved in our Historic Downtown. It was 2019, and 43 Rainbow Crosswalks had already been installed across the Province; it was a slam dunk!

  We created a faux rainbow crosswalk with pieces of colourful Bristol board, and invited community members to come down for a photo shoot, each dressed in a solid colour. The photographs that resulted were breathtaking, and showed the potential for beauty, vivacity and celebration at a low traffic intersection where safety would not be an issue.

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography
  Cover Photo for Rainbow Crosswalk for Chilliwack Facebook Page

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography, featuring her late father John Sovereign, previous member of the Mayor's Task Force

  
  

  After the photo shoot, we collected hundreds of signatures in support of Rainbow Crosswalk at Party in the Park and at various businesses throughout town. We obtained almost twenty letters of support from surrounding businesses (over 80% of polled businesses were in favour) and over 100 beautiful letters written by community members advocating for this crosswalk to be installed.

  
  

  The Rainbow Binder, ready to go!

  To see the binder and hear about its contents visit this link(External link)

  We made arrangements for a group to go to City Hall to attend our appointment with Esteemed Mayor Popove.

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography

  Mayor Popove asked if we'd like a delegation, and we were in favour of this idea. We left City Hall in high spirits, believing that our binder couldn't possibly fail! SO many signatures, beautiful letters, and business letters of support, combined with extensive research and charting from other communities's installation of Rainbow Crosswalks in BC.
  
  We were open to crowd sourcing for the crosswalk, although our preference was for City Hall to pay for it, as had been the case in most cities that had installed them. Volunteers were standing by, ready to pressure wash, paint, and maintain any installed crosswalks. We all waited patiently to hear from City Hall, but were puzzled when we did not receive a reply. In the meantime, I followed and charted articles being posted by our local paper, and tracked the reactions from the general population to bring forward in our delegation.
  
  Overwhelmingly, popular feedback was in favour of a Rainbow Crosswalk in Chilliwack.
  
  Ultimately, we were not given the opportunity to speak. We were not even given the courtesy of being told that the matter was in an upcoming Council Agenda Package. Our application for a Rainbow Crosswalk was buried in an Agenda Package for a Tuesday meeting after a long weekend, only discovered by a 16 year old youth who went through all of the meetings with a fine toothed comb to see if we had been mentioned. We scrambled people together on short notice during a work day, aghast at how things were being handled, and after amassing outside and having an encouraging talk, went into Chambers in a peaceful group. 6/7 of our city's leaders voted no to a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street.
  
  To say that people were devastated is an understatement. People were incredibly upset. One army Veteran was so overcome with emotion and disappointment that he swore at the Mayor, and was quickly escorted out of Chambers by trusted friends to weep outside.
  
  

  Photo from the Chilliwack Progress

  
  It was a sad day indeed.
  
  But something incredible started to happen. Chief David Jimmie and Chief Derek Epp unfolded Rainbow Crosswalks on Indigenous Land (we walk in your footsteps, and are grateful for your leadership!). The Chilliwack School Board installed a Rainbow Crosswalk at their School Board Office. Kristy and Marty Van den Bosch installed a Rainbow Crosswalk on their driveway, and arranged to have one installed on mine too. Before and after that fateful day,16 Rainbow Crosswalks were painted in Chilliwack!
  
  Yet still, the City of Chilliwack still does not have a city sanctioned and installed Rainbow Crosswalk. (Read the Chilliwack Progress Article here(External link))
  
  

  Photograph by Jenna Hauck, Chilliwack Progress
  Chief David Jimmie & Amber Price at the newly installed Rainbow Crosswalk in Eagle Landing
  
  Lorna Seip of Two Girls on a Roll installing a Rainbow Crosswalk for Kristy and Marty van den Bosch
  
  UFV installing their Rainbow Crosswalk

  
  

  Love Mural on the back of The Book Man, designed by local artist Carter Ruffle, and painted by Mavik.
  
  Rainbow Piano, as dreamed up and facilitated by Bobbypin's Curiosities in Downtown Chilliwack.

  Chilliwack made national news, and our story became so infamous that it even made Bored Panda(External link).
  Global Television interviewing a group of Rainbow Crosswalk advocates.
  
  We set about doing extensive research to address any and all concerns that were expressed by Council during their No vote. We contacted all 43 municipalities that already had crosswalks to query them about these concerns, and went so far as to contact the Ministry of Transportation. We charted and documented every single one of these conversations, and found these concerns to be unsubstantiated with any lived experience. I took meetings with City Councilors from Richmond, staff from the City of Abbotsford and elsewhere, gleaning information.
  
  Erin working away at the list of municipalities.
  
  Erin's impeccable work, contacting each Rainbow Crosswalk municipality.
  
  The letter that we sent to each City Councilor that we contacted.
  
  We even fundraised the necessary fees and requested an FOI so that we could read all of the letters that city hall had received against the Rainbow Crosswalk. These letters were filled with so much fear, hatred, misinformation, prejudice, homophobia and divisiveness that our reading groups didn't know whether to laugh, or cry.
  

  On our way to City Hall to go and pay for our FOI with crowdsourced funds.

  
  The required paper to print the FOI that we requested

  
  Our first night of our FOI paper sorting.
  
  One of numerous meetings of sorting & classifying the "No" letters

  Since then, I have re-requested a Rainbow Flag (denied) and submitted a second request for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill, paid for in full, with maintenance costs covered by private citizens (also denied). This comes in the failed wake of Indigenous Leaders (Shayla Hall, we walk in your footsteps) asking for both a Rainbow Crosswalk (twice) and Pride Flag (Louise De Jaeger, we walk in your footsteps) to be provided by the City of Chilliwack, and also being denied. Four denials for a crosswalk now. Two denials for a Pride flag to be flown at City Hall.
  
  I immediately put up a rainbow flag at my business and my home to heal my heart. (Note, I was immediately subjected to homophobia by my next door residential neighbour for my rainbow flag, which was bent to the ground shortly thereafter. I recently purchased a heavy duty steel pole that will be installed shortly).

  
  

  Rainbow Flag at The Book Man, Chilliwack
  
  This next paragraph is difficult for me, as I don't like to tout my accolades that have been granted to me.
  
  I am a woman of influence in Chilliwack who has truly earned her seat at the table. My family's business has been in our Downtown Core for 30 years. I sit on influential boards, two of which had a nomination process that ultimately had to be approved by City Council, and have given thousands of hours of my life to community service and the betterment of the City of Chilliwack. I donate to local charities and support hundreds of local fundraising initiatives both personally and through my business. I have received a coveted Cultural Diversity Award for providing an Inclusive Environment in my businesses, and have been nominated as an Adult Champion of Diversity three times. I have been nominated for the Stan Rogers Legacy Award four times. I have won Best Business in Chilliwack three times, Retail Excellence twice, Employer of the Year, Environmental Hero, and more. In 2020 I was named Inspirational Leader by the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce. I received a Community Hero certificate from our MP Mark Strahl in 2020. I curated the Chilliwack Mural Festival, and organized the Downtown Chilliwack Walk for Peace. I report directly to the City during my Downtown Chilliwack Cleanup Crews, and have been featured on Global National. I don't mention these accolades to brag, but rather to imprint upon readers that even a woman with a great deal of privilege and a strong, respected voice could not make a difference.
  
  All we asked for was for six coloured stripes to be painted on the ground to celebrate the THOUSANDS of LGBTQ2+ community members that we have in Chilliwack. I'm not sure where to go from here, but this is not my Chilliwack, and I am once again, asking for better. I do this for our youth, I do this for our LGBTQ2+ seniors, I do this for my family, colleagues, staff, friends, and for myself as a member of the LGBTQ2+ community. It is time to move forward. We are not 'marginalized citizens'. We are community members, and we belong here, and deserved to be recognized and celebrated for who we are, and what we contribute to the City of Chilliwack by choosing to live, work and recreate here.
  
  
  

  I formally, and respectfully ask for the Task Force (that was implemented after the No vote) to use their unique position of influence to ask City Council and our Mayor to remove the undeniably homophobic bylaws that were voted in that prevent decorative flags to be flown at City Hall, or any decorative crosswalks to be installed in Chilliwack. It is time for change.
  
  And, I am once again asking for a Rainbow Crosswalk to be installed at Wellington and Mill Street in our Historic Downtown. 5th time's the charm!Hold this vision in your heart. It will happen, I believe it.
  
  Thank you for reading this. Wishing you and yours good health, peace and happiness during this strange time. Please feel free to contact me should you wish to speak further on this matter.
• Share Difficulty getting LGBTQ2S a voices heard on Facebook Share Difficulty getting LGBTQ2S a voices heard on Twitter Share Difficulty getting LGBTQ2S a voices heard on Linkedin Email Difficulty getting LGBTQ2S a voices heard link

  Difficulty getting LGBTQ2S a voices heard

  by Christopher Hunt, about 5 years ago
  

  I am posting this for a friend, Amber, who created it...

  
  

  When two dear friends of 15 years asked if I would advocate for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street on their behalf, I wholeheartedly threw myself into the task of helping them to feel celebrated and loved in our Historic Downtown. It was 2019, and 43 Rainbow Crosswalks had already been installed across the Province; it was a slam dunk!

  We created a faux rainbow crosswalk with pieces of colourful Bristol board, and invited community members to come down for a photo shoot, each dressed in a... Continue reading

  I am posting this for a friend, Amber, who created it...

  
  

  When two dear friends of 15 years asked if I would advocate for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street on their behalf, I wholeheartedly threw myself into the task of helping them to feel celebrated and loved in our Historic Downtown. It was 2019, and 43 Rainbow Crosswalks had already been installed across the Province; it was a slam dunk!

  We created a faux rainbow crosswalk with pieces of colourful Bristol board, and invited community members to come down for a photo shoot, each dressed in a solid colour. The photographs that resulted were breathtaking, and showed the potential for beauty, vivacity and celebration at a low traffic intersection where safety would not be an issue.

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography
  Cover Photo for Rainbow Crosswalk for Chilliwack Facebook Page

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography, featuring her late father John Sovereign, previous member of the Mayor's Task Force

  
  

  After the photo shoot, we collected hundreds of signatures in support of Rainbow Crosswalk at Party in the Park and at various businesses throughout town. We obtained almost twenty letters of support from surrounding businesses (over 80% of polled businesses were in favour) and over 100 beautiful letters written by community members advocating for this crosswalk to be installed.

  
  

  The Rainbow Binder, ready to go!

  To see the binder and hear about its contents visit this link

  We made arrangements for a group to go to City Hall to attend our appointment with Esteemed Mayor Popove.

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography

  
  

  Photo by Sarah Sovereign Photography

  Mayor Popove asked if we'd like a delegation, and we were in favour of this idea. We left City Hall in high spirits, believing that our binder couldn't possibly fail! SO many signatures, beautiful letters, and business letters of support, combined with extensive research and charting from other communities's installation of Rainbow Crosswalks in BC.
  
  We were open to crowd sourcing for the crosswalk, although our preference was for City Hall to pay for it, as had been the case in most cities that had installed them. Volunteers were standing by, ready to pressure wash, paint, and maintain any installed crosswalks. We all waited patiently to hear from City Hall, but were puzzled when we did not receive a reply.
  
  Ultimately, we were not given the opportunity to speak. We were not even given the courtesy of being told that the matter was in an upcoming Council Agenda Package. Our application for a Rainbow Crosswalk was buried in an Agenda Package for a Tuesday meeting after a long weekend, only discovered by a 16 year old youth who went through all of the meetings with a fine toothed comb to see if we had been mentioned. We scrambled people together on short notice during a work day, aghast at how things were being handled, and after amassing outside and having an encouraging talk, went into Chambers in a peaceful group. 6/7 of our city's leaders voted no to a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill Street.
  
  To say that people were devastated is an understatement. People were incredibly upset. One army Veteran was so overcome with emotion and disappointment that he swore at the Mayor, and was quickly escorted out of Chambers by trusted friends to weep outside.
  
  

  Photo from the Chilliwack Progress

  
  It was a sad day indeed.
  
  But something incredible started to happen. Chief David Jimmie and Chief Derek Epp unfolded Rainbow Crosswalks on Indigenous Land (we walk in your footsteps, and are grateful for your leadership!). The Chilliwack School Board installed a Rainbow Crosswalk at their School Board Office. Kristy and Marty Van den Bosch installed a Rainbow Crosswalk on their driveway, and arranged to have one installed on mine too. Before and after that fateful day,16 Rainbow Crosswalks were painted in Chilliwack!
  
  Yet still, the City of Chilliwack still does not have a city sanctioned and installed Rainbow Crosswalk. (Read the Chilliwack Progress Article here)
  
  

  Photograph by Jenna Hauck, Chilliwack Progress
  Chief David Jimmie & Amber Price at the newly installed Rainbow Crosswalk in Eagle Landing
  
  Lorna Seip of Two Girls on a Roll installing a Rainbow Crosswalk for Kristy and Marty van den Bosch

  We set about doing extensive research to address any and all concerns that were expressed by Council during their No vote. We contacted all 43 municipalities that already had crosswalks to query them about these concerns, and went so far as to contact the Ministry of Transportation. We charted and documented every single one of these conversations, and found these concerns to be unsubstantiated with any lived experience. I took meetings with City Councilors from Richmond, staff from the City of Abbotsford and elsewhere, gleaning information. We even fundraised the necessary fees and requested an FOI so that we could read all of the letters that city hall had received against the Rainbow Crosswalk. These letters were filled with so much fear, hatred, misinformation, prejudice, homophobia and divisiveness that our reading groups didn't know whether to laugh, or cry.

  
  

  
  The required paper to print the FOI that we requested

  
  
  One of numerous meetings of sorting & classifying the "No" letters

  Since then, I have re-requested a Rainbow Flag (denied) and submitted a second request for a Rainbow Crosswalk at Wellington and Mill, paid for in full, with maintenance costs covered by private citizens (also denied). This comes in the failed wake of Indigenous Leaders (Shayla Hall, we walk in your footsteps) asking for both a Rainbow Crosswalk (twice) and Pride Flag (Louise De Jaeger, we walk in your footsteps) to be provided by the City of Chilliwack, and also being denied. Four denials for a crosswalk now. Two denials for a Pride flag to be flown at City Hall.
  
  I immediately put up a rainbow flag at my business and my home to heal my heart. (Note, I was immediately subjected to homophobia by my next door neighbour for my rainbow flag)

  
  

  Rainbow Flag at The Book Man, Chilliwack
  
  This next paragraph is difficult for me, as I don't like to tout my accolades that have been granted to me.
  
  I am a woman of influence in Chilliwack who has truly earned her seat at the table. My family's business has been in our Downtown Core for 30 years. I sit on influential boards, two of which had a nomination process that ultimately had to be approved by City Council, and have given thousands of hours of my life to community service and the betterment of the City of Chilliwack. I donate to local charities and support hundreds of local fundraising initiatives both personally and through my business. I have received a coveted Cultural Diversity Award for providing an Inclusive Environment in my businesses, and have been nominated as an Adult Champion of Diversity three times. I have been nominated for the Stan Rogers Legacy Award four times. I have won Best Business in Chilliwack three times, Retail Excellence twice, Employer of the Year, Environmental Hero, and more. In 2020 I was named Inspirational Leader by the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce. I curated the Chilliwack Mural Festival, and organized the Downtown Chilliwack Walk for Peace. I report directly to the City during my Downtown Chilliwack Cleanup Crews, and have been featured on Global National. I don't mention these accolades to brag, but rather to imprint upon readers that even a woman with a great deal of privilege and a strong, respected voice could not make a difference.
  
  All we asked for was for six coloured stripes to be painted on the ground to celebrate the THOUSANDS of LGBTQ2+ community members that we have in Chilliwack. I'm not sure where to go from here, but this is not my Chilliwack, and I am once again, asking for better. I do this for our youth, I do this for our LGBTQ2+ seniors, I do this for my family, colleagues, staff, friends, and for myself as a member of the LGBTQ2+ community. It is time to move forward. We are not 'marginalized citizens'. We are community members, and we belong here, and deserved to be recognized and celebrated for who we are, and what we contribute to the City of Chilliwack by choosing to live, work and recreate here.

  I formally, and respectfully ask for the Task Force (that was implemented after the No vote) to use their unique position of influence to ask City Council and our Mayor to remove the undeniably homophobic bylaws that were voted in that prevent decorative flags to be flown at City Hall, or any decorative crosswalks to be installed in Chilliwack. It is time for change.
  
  And, I am once again asking for a Rainbow Crosswalk to be installed at Wellington and Mill Street in our Historic Downtown. 5th time's the charm!
  
  Thank you for reading this. Wishing you and yours good health, peace and happiness during this strange time. Please feel free to contact me should you wish to speak further on this matter.

  
  

  2 comments
• Share Reticence doesn’t mean all is well. on Facebook Share Reticence doesn’t mean all is well. on Twitter Share Reticence doesn’t mean all is well. on Linkedin Email Reticence doesn’t mean all is well. link

  Reticence doesn’t mean all is well.

  by Christopher Hunt, about 5 years ago

  I’m a person who has quite a lot of privilege (straight, cis, white, male) so my needs are met by default in Chilliwack and society generally. But, from talking with friends, acquaintances, colleagues and community members over the years, I’m well aware that Chilliwack has a history (and continuing contemporary issues) that have actively or by default marginalized our BIPOC and LGBTQ2S citizens. I think that this MTFIDA is an important step, and I’m very hopeful it will lead to concrete measurable goals for change and improvement. I do worry that many people’s past experiences in town will not make... Continue reading

  I’m a person who has quite a lot of privilege (straight, cis, white, male) so my needs are met by default in Chilliwack and society generally. But, from talking with friends, acquaintances, colleagues and community members over the years, I’m well aware that Chilliwack has a history (and continuing contemporary issues) that have actively or by default marginalized our BIPOC and LGBTQ2S citizens. I think that this MTFIDA is an important step, and I’m very hopeful it will lead to concrete measurable goals for change and improvement. I do worry that many people’s past experiences in town will not make them comfortable or motivated to participate in this feedback. So, if there is low engagement, we cannot assume all is well. Anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of Chilliwack in just the last several years knows there is a lot of work to be done on inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in our town.
• Share Accessibility is Vital to my family on Facebook Share Accessibility is Vital to my family on Twitter Share Accessibility is Vital to my family on Linkedin Email Accessibility is Vital to my family link

  Accessibility is Vital to my family

  by Momma KIng, about 5 years ago
  We currently have three wheelchairs in our family. Without accessible places to go, we are essentially confined to home. Our girls deserve the chance to get out and explore Chilliwack, and spend time creating connections. Did you know there is a resource that can help? www.mycommunitybc.ca is an online map built by citizens that provide opportunities for inclusion and connection.

  We currently have three wheelchairs in our family. Without accessible places to go, we are essentially confined to home. Our girls deserve the chance to get out and explore Chilliwack, and spend time creating connections. Did you know there is a resource that can help? www.mycommunitybc.ca is an online map built by citizens that provide opportunities for inclusion and connection.
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