Sault Pride display vandalized

Police and city officials say a Pride display in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was vandalized on Tuesday.

A newly painted 'Progress Flag' at at the crosswalk between Bay and Spring Street was defaced with spray paint on Tuesday. July 3, 2024. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)

It has been less than two weeks since the City of Sault Ste. Marie painted a new ‘Progress Flag’ at the crosswalk between Bay and Spring Street in a sign of unity for the LGBTQ2S+.

The display was defaced with spray paint on Tuesday, in what Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said shows the worst of what’s in the city.

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“When I heard about the vandalism, it just… it took the wind out of my sails completely,” said Sault Pride chair Amanda Zuke.

“I'm so disappointed and so hurt.”

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Sault Pride representatives told CTV News that the group was ‘riding high’ after countering anti-LGBTQ+ protests at the same location throughout the long weekend.

Zuke said they think whoever was behind the recent vandalism was “emboldened” by these protests – adding there has been opposition since it was installed.

“As soon as the progress flag was painted here, it immediately got negative attention from certain parts of the city,” Zuke said.

“People were immediately doing burnouts on it to mark it from their tires and being encouraged to do so by certain elements.”

Sault Pride officials say there has been opposition to the progress flag display at the crosswalk between Bay and Spring Street in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., since it was installed and people were immediately doing burnouts on it to mark it from their tires. The pride display was also vandaldized with spay paint recently. A portion of the crosswalk with damage shown is shown on July 3, 2024. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)

The city’s Pridefest is less than three weeks away and officials with Sault Pride said they hope the display can be repaired before the parade kicks off on July 20.

A promise

Shoemaker has promised that the display will be prepared before Pridefest begins.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker speaks with CTV News on July 3, 2024, about the recently vandalized pride display and his commitment to ensuring it is repaired quickly. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)

“The cost, I think, of not allowing people to feel welcome and inclusive in our community is much more than the cost of repairing it,” he said.

“This did not cost a significant amount to put in. It will be repaired. It'll be repaired very quickly.”

Shoemaker said a strong showing of support will show the community’s best.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said detectives are investigating the vandalism and are asking any witnesses or those with any evidence of what happened to reach out to them at 705-949-6300 or contact Crime Stoppers.

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Zuke told CTV News that they are not holding out hope that police will be able to locate the perpetrator – but rather Sault Pride is trying to look on the positive side of the situation.

‘Love wins’

“The fact that the ‘love wins’ text on the sidewalk lasted beyond the vandalism of the crosswalk is sort of poetic to me,” said Zuke.

The phrase 'Love Wins' written on the sidewalk next to the Sault Ste. Marie ‘Progress Flag’ at the crosswalk between Bay and Spring Street. July 3, 2024. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)