VANCOUVER -- Workers at Coquitlam city hall were treated to an unusual sight Friday afternoon: a bright pink unicorn with rainbow mane, waddling up the front steps to wave to staff through the glass.
“We got lots of strange creatures here at city hall, but this is the first time with a unicorn,” said Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart with a smile, as the unicorn posed for pictures with children.
The unicorn has been lifting spirits around the Tri-Cities, and was most recently sighted in a Coquitlam intersection alongside a woman in a T-Rex costume.
“I had no idea who she was,” said Kristina Lee, who spotted the unicorn from her home, and decided to put on her T-Rex costume and join the fun.
"There was a unicorn on a traffic island and I thought, this is my chance!" Lee told CTV News Vancouver.
Video of the encounter went viral, prompting the mysterious unicorn to reveal herself.
“I was watching an American news station and there was a woman who had a unicorn costume, and she walked into a grocery store and she just made everybody happy,” said Janet Thompson.
So she decided to find a similar costume online, and do the same, but with some modifications.
Thompson’s unicorn carries a sign that says “Stay Safe,” and she’s fashioned a cloth mask for her pink mascot.
In addition to spreading smiles, Thompson has also delivered baked goods for staff at Royal Columbian Hospital.
“It’s just brought people so much happiness,” said Thompson. “It’s really made me so happy watching everybody smile.”