A decision that could set a precedent for how money is invested in inclusivity and diversity projects in Renfrew will be made on Tuesday night.
Town Council will hear a Community Services committee recommendation to not proceed with an inclusive community art mural at Town Hall, part of the town’s Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Project, as well as the rainbow sidewalk along Railroad Avenue and the Renfrew Public Library that has been in development since 2021.
Councillor Jason Legris and Committee Chair Andrew Dick voted in favour of no action at last week’s committee meeting, while Reeve Peter Emon supported an alternative that would have focused effort on the rainbow sidewalk.
Councillor John McDonald sat in on the meeting, suggesting that council and staff should focus on keeping Town Hall a neutral space for everyone. He also indicated that taxpayers had communicated to him that they didn’t want Town Hall “to promote specific identities or interests.”
It’s a response that has left Renfrew Pride founder Chris Kyte “deeply ashamed and embarrassed by the lack of leadership coming from some members of Renfrew Town Council.”
Kyte notes that the LGBTQ+ community are not a special interests group but human beings protected under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and that the comment dismisses their struggle against groups actively looking to strip them of those rights.
She adds that “a rainbow crosswalk or sidewalk does not promote anything, but is a powerful statement of inclusion and safety” for community members who live with the threat of violence every day.
Funding for the mural piece would have come from a $55,591 grant through Heritage Canada, which will also be used to support staff training, other community programs, and more as part of the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Project currently being developed.
The town council will get a chance to re-examine the matter at their meeting on Tuesday, November 28th.
(written by Kasey Egan)