The skid marks told the story even before Police Chief Robert Doucette got the call. Someone had deliberately defaced the rainbow crosswalk in downtown Port aux Basques, leaving thick black tire tracks across the vibrant symbol of inclusion that the community had only recently celebrated.
“This isn’t just property damage,” Doucette told me when I visited the site yesterday. “It’s a message meant to intimidate, and that’s why we’re treating it with the seriousness it deserves.”
The RCMP confirmed they’ve opened a formal investigation into what they’re calling a “targeted incident” that occurred sometime between Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The crosswalk, painted just three weeks ago as part of the town’s first Pride celebration, had become a point of pride for many in this coastal Newfoundland community of roughly 4,000.
Mayor Brian Button didn’t mince words when we spoke at Town Hall. “We’re a small community where people look out for each other. This kind of behavior doesn’t represent who we are or what we stand for.”
According to witnesses at the nearby Harbor Grounds Café, a pickup truck was seen performing what appeared to be deliberate “burnouts” across the crosswalk around 11:30 PM Tuesday. The café’s night manager, Elaine Farrell, reported hearing the screeching tires from inside.
“It went on for nearly a minute,” Farrell said. “This wasn’t someone accidentally hitting their brakes. You could hear the engine revving up between passes.”
The incident has sparked an outpouring of community support. By Thursday afternoon, more than sixty residents had volunteered to help repaint the crosswalk, and local businesses had already donated supplies. The town council voted unanimously during an emergency session to allocate funds for additional security cameras near the site.
This vandalism isn’t occurring in isolation. Statistics Canada reported a 27% increase in hate crimes targeting sexual orientation across the country between 2020 and 2022. Rural communities have seen some of the most dramatic increases, according to research from the University of Toronto’s Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies.
“These symbols matter profoundly in smaller communities,” explained Dr. Sarah Richardson, who studies LGBTQ+ issues in rural Canada. “In places where queer people may already feel isolated, public recognition through something like a Pride crosswalk can be lifesaving. That’s why these attacks cut so deep.”
Port aux Basques isn’t the first Newfoundland community to experience this type of vandalism. Similar incidents occurred in Corner Brook last summer and in Gander in 2021. In both cases, community response led to enhanced protections and ultimately stronger shows of solidarity.
The timing makes this particularly painful for the local Pride organization. Jennifer Morris, who chairs the Port aux Basques Pride Committee, explained they’d fought for nearly two years to get approval for the crosswalk.
“We finally had this visible symbol that young people especially could see and know they belong here,” Morris said, visibly emotional as we surveyed the damage. “Now we have to explain to them why someone would do this.”
The council meeting Thursday evening drew a standing-room-only crowd. What struck me wasn’t just the anger, but the determination. Speaker after speaker, including several who identified themselves as conservative lifelong residents, took the microphone to condemn the vandalism.
“I don’t understand all this gender stuff,” admitted 73-year-old fisherman Thomas Keeping. “But I understand respect. And I understand that my grandchildren deserve to live in a town where we don’t tolerate hate.”
The RCMP has requested that anyone with information contact their tip line. They’re reviewing footage from nearby businesses and have interviewed several potential witnesses. Under the Criminal Code, this could potentially be prosecuted as both property damage and as a hate-motivated crime.
While small in population, Port aux Basques serves as a vital transportation hub as the western terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway in Newfoundland and the main ferry connection to Nova Scotia. The crosswalk sits near the ferry terminal, making it one of the first things many visitors see upon arrival.
“That location was deliberate,” explained Deputy Mayor Chester Coffin. “We wanted to make a statement about who we are as a community—welcoming to all. And we won’t let one hateful act change that.”
The repaint is scheduled for this weekend, weather permitting. Pride organizers have expanded the event into what they’re now calling a “community resilience celebration,” with local bands offering to perform and several restaurants providing free food.
Morris told me the committee had received messages of support from across the province and beyond. “The silver lining, if there is one, is that this has started conversations in households where these topics might never have come up before.”
As I walked back through town, I noticed rainbow flags had appeared in several storefronts that hadn’t displayed them before. Outside the hardware store, a hand-painted sign read simply: “Hate has no home here.”
For a community facing economic challenges after recent fishery closures, this moment has revealed something deeper than division. It’s showcased a resilience that many small towns across Canada continue to demonstrate when faced with challenges.
“We’ll paint it brighter than before,” Mayor Button promised as our interview concluded. “And if we have to paint it again after that, we will. That’s just who we are.”
