BURSTThe rainbow crosswalk in Smithers was vandalized over the weekend.
Smithers RCMP is investigating after the symbol of 2SLGBTQ+ pride was defaced overnight on July 17.
The incident was reported to police by the Town of Smithers community safety officers.
A team of community members, town councillors, and town staff removed the graffiti on the morning of July 18, the same day the Main Street Festival took place.
RCMP and community safety officers canvassed nearby businesses for surveillance footage, and businesses are now reviewing their recordings.
In a press release, police stated that while the incident was being discussed on social media, work was already underway to find the culprit. Community members, the Town of Smithers, local partners, businesses, and police came together to support both the investigation and those affected.
“Our responsibility is to investigate what happened and work to identify those responsible,” said Cst. Jocelyn Foidart, media relations officer for Smithers RCMP.
“However, the response to this incident has already extended beyond policing, and that is important to recognize. Acts like this can be attempts to divide us, but our community responded collectively and demonstrated that we are stronger together.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Smithers RCMP at 250-847-3233.
Smithers Mayor Gladys Atrill wrote on her social media that the celebration for the Veterans Crosswalk was followed up by “a cowardly act of vandalism and hatred” on the Rainbow Crosswalk.
“Those who vandalized the Rainbow Crosswalk do not represent this community,” she wrote. “Acts of bigotry only say something about the speaker. Acts of vandalism reflect the perpetrator. Though there is certainly harm done to others by those acts. The question for me is why? Why share hatred, why be hateful of people? Why use intimidation? If people aren’t just like you or me, that is just fine. Let’s celebrate differences.”
She went on to write that her Smithers welcomes all and pointed out that Smithers Pride works hard to create that sense of place for 2SLGBTQ+ people.
“That is as it should be and what we all need to be doing, to reflect that Smithers is a place where all good people are welcome,” she continued. “It is beyond time to stop judging others, to stop being afraid of people who may be different than you, to stop trying to hurt others by defacing something so benign as paint on Main Street.”