It didn’t take long for Coldstream’s true colours to shine again Monday.
The rainbow crosswalk at Kal Beach on Kalamalka Road was vandalized early Sunday morning.
The colours were smeared over with white paint.
READ MORE: Coldstream rainbow crosswalk defaced
But District of Coldstream officials were quick to address the mess Monday morning.
The vandalism, which is believed to have happened Sunday between midnight and 1:45 a.m., caused considerable outrage by residents and elected officials.
“It saddens me to see that there are still individuals in our midst that are so insecure and threatened by this gesture of inclusion that they feel the need to sneak out to vandalize and deface it,” said Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick.
“I encourage any witnesses to this act to contact the RCMP with any information they can provide.”
The rainbow crosswalk came to fruition in 2017 (at a $5,000 price tag—an additional $6,100 was spent to repair the existing crosswalk and pavement) following efforts of local resident Jasper Mallette.
“When I found out I was heartbroken, but seeing the overwhelming support from the community made me so proud. I wish I could have been there to give my support in person,” Mallette said.
“It’s great that it was cleaned up so quickly, I’m happy about that, but at the same time I wish it had never happened in the first place.”
The RCMP are currently investigating the incident and may have a clue courtesy of the culprit.
“The suspect left behind an item at the scene,” said Cpl. Tania Finn, media relations officer with the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP.
“Investigators are working with our integrated forensic identification section to determine whether the item has any evidentiary value.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Const. Louis Morrison of the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP, remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leaving a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com.
READ MORE: Rainbow crosswalk gets green light in Coldstream
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