'Disturbed and disappointed': Delta officials condemn Pride flagpole vandalism
Police in Delta are investigating after the flagpole bearing the city's Progress Pride flag was apparently cut down by a vandal Wednesday morning.
“I am incredibly disturbed and disappointed by the actions of the vandal who tore down our Progress Pride flagpole in front of city hall earlier this morning," said Delta Mayor George V. Harvie in a statement.
"Hate has no place in our community and I will not tolerate it. Delta council and I stand firmer than ever with our LGBTQ2S+ community and are proud of the beautiful Pride rainbow banners that continue to stand strong all across Delta. Love will always win over hate.”
Delta Police Department Chief Neil Dubord echoed the mayor's sentiments in the statement, saying the department is "actively investigating" and will pursue charges.
"The Pride flag is more than a symbol for the LGBTQ2S+ community – it represents a desire for everyone to be treated equally, regardless of sexuality, race, gender identity, religion or any other label," Dubord said.
The Progress Pride flag was designed in 2018 by non-binary American artist Daniel Quasar. It adds five colours – brown, black, pink, light blue and white – to the common six-colour rainbow Pride flag in an arrow pointing right to show forward movement and illustrate that progress toward inclusivity still needs to be made.
The colours represent transgender and non-binary people and queer communities of colour, according to Quasar.
Delta raised its Pride flag on June 1. It was the fourth year city officials have held a ceremony to raise a Pride flag, and the first time the city used a Progress Pride flag in its ceremony.
The city also installed rainbow street banners across the city in consultation with the Delta Pride Society and the Mayor’s Task Force on Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.