‘Ryder’s Rainbow’ crosswalk officially installed in Simcoe

Norfolk County officially completed the installation of the region’s first rainbow crosswalk Wednesday.

The rainbow crosswalk was initially proposed by then 8-year-old Port Dover resident Ryder Mandryk to the Norfolk County council in July 2021 to show support for the LGBTQ2A+ community after seeing one from Paris, Ont., in the newspaper. 

The proposal would be approved by council in 2022, with the only concern being funding the $15,000 project. 

READ MORE: Eight-year-old from Norfolk raising money for a rainbow crosswalk

Community members would rally together to raise $30,000 for “Ryder’s Rainbow”, doubling the funds needed to bring the project to life. 

Speaking on the initiative, Mayor Amy Martin called Ryder “a shining example of what can happen when a member of the community follows their heart to do something they believe in.”

Residents can check out the crosswalk at the intersection Norfolk St. and Union St. in Simcoe.

Norfolk residents can look forward to the possibility of more decorative crosswalks coming soon following the creation of the Decorative Crosswalk Policy to ease the installment and maintenance processes.

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