Freshly painted Pride crosswalk pops up at new spot downtown

Just in time for Pride Month, a fresh rainbow crosswalk is being painted at a new location downtown: at the intersection of Spring at Bay streets.

City spokesperson Tessa Vecchio said a decision was made to move the Pride crosswalk away from the street in front of the James L. McIntyre Centennial Library due to a number of factors.

"The original brick location in front of the library posed significant challenges in terms of maintenance, especially during the harsh winter months and general wear and tear caused by weathering," said Veccio. "Despite our best efforts, maintaining the crosswalk's vibrancy and integrity proved challenging with the existing brick material."

City workers began painting the crosswalk on Thursday morning and are expected to be working on it for much of the day.

Vecchio said the new location should prove longer-lasting than the one in front of the library.

"This allows us to use asphalt paint directly on asphalt surface which is expected to be more durable and cost-effective," said Vecchio.

The previous Pride Crosswalk was opened in front of the library in August of 2020. At the time, then-mayor Christian Provenzano said it is important for everyone to "work together to ensure that Sault Ste. Marie is a welcoming and inclusive community, a place where everyone feels at home and feels that they belong."

Amanda Zuke, the chair of Sault Pride, said she "couldn't be happier" with the new location.

"No one could have predicted the wear the crosswalk at East Street would endure, and with the ongoing revitalization of downtown, Spring Street is an ideal, highly visible location to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community's contribution to the cultural fabric of Sault Ste Marie," she said. "I'm thrilled to see this happening during global Pride Month!"