Two city councillors brokered a pact Monday afternoon on how to move forward with a rainbow crosswalk in downtown Barrie.
Last week, council gave initial approval to spending $7,000 on a rainbow crosswalk across Simcoe Street, to be installed in time for the Barrie Pride parade, but there was some debate around whether the city should be footing the bill.
Coun. Mike McCann took the initiative to raise the required funds for the crosswalk instead of using tax dollars.
On Monday night, councillors voted to use the donated money to fund the rainbow crosswalk, while the previously approved cash will go toward anti-bullying and LGBTQ2+ programs in the city. The amendment received unanimous support.
Coun. Keenan Aylwin, who had tabled a motion last week at general committee for the rainbow crosswalk to be painted across Simcoe Street, located between Meridian Place and Heritage Park, noted the last several days have been "emotional" and "a bit fraught."
"This really is bringing us together and I'm really encouraged by that," he said Monday night. "We actually ended up doubling our impact."
McCann called Aylwin "a fierce advocate ... (and) he really wore me down."
"With the passion he has for this cause, it was hard to turn down," McCann added.
Aylwin talked about his own experience as a gay person growing up in Barrie.
"We've come a long way ... but we still have whole lot of work to do. As a gay man, I still can't donate blood," he said, adding there are also still people who've lived their lives out of the closet only to have to hide their sexuality when they move into long-term care.
"A crosswalk alone won't fix this, but a crosswalk is a powerful symbol that our city stands beside the LGBTQ2+ community and that we are loved and supported and that we really matter," Aylwin said.
The Ward 2 councillor said he couldn't wait to move out of the city when he was younger.
"To be honest, I couldn't wait to leave Barrie," Aylwin said. "I really didn't feel the love and acceptance that everyone deserves.
"Tonight, I do feel welcome in the city of Barrie."
Those who donated money toward the rainbow crosswalk are expected to be revealed when it opens.
Dave Friary, the city's director of roads, parks and fleet, said he hopes to see the rainbow crosswalk in place for Promenade Days in late June and into July.
