The 1400 block of Lonsdale Avenue has always been an oasis of open-minded thinking on the North Shore.

With the McNews book and magazine shop, Jack Lonsdale's Public House, and the Tamarind Hill Malaysian restaurant, this part of Central Lonsdale has more of an urban vibe than what you ordinarily find in the 'burbs.

Today, the City of North Vancouver has added another hip dimension to the block: the first Pride rainbow sidewalk on the north side of Burrard Inlet.

It's at 14th and Lonsdale—a heavily crossed intersection that leads pedestrians to and from the super-sustainable North Vancouver City Library, which opened in 2009.

"Our new Pride crosswalk sends an important message about who we are as a community,” Mayor Linda Buchanan said in a news release. “Our city embraces and celebrates diversity in all forms including sexual orientation and gender identity. I’m very proud of our rainbow crosswalk, a symbol of our solidarity with the LGBTQ2+ community, demonstrating that everyone is welcome in our city.”

The cofounders of the North Shore Pride Alliance, Christopher Bolton and Gary Woods, called the rainbow flag "a beacon of light".

“This intersection is for everyone in our community," they added. "Our intent, wish and hope with this beautiful crosswalk is that it will spark conversation.”

It's also not far from the delightfully retro Eighties Restaurant.