Since Vancouver installed Canada's first LGBT–inclusive rainbow crosswalks in 2013, dozens of communities across British Columbia have also joined the rainbow connection from Port Alberni, Ladysmith, and Nanaimo to Castelgar, Masset, Lytton, and Dawson Creek.

The most recent additions in Metro Vancouver have been Richmond and North Vancouver, which followed cities such as New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, White Rock, and Port Moody.

Despite the increasingly large number of communities doing so, one municipality in the Lower Mainland just voted against following suit.

On August 9, Chilliwack Citizens For Change had previously presented Mayor Ken Popove with a petition with 750 signatories asking for a rainbow crosswalk.

At a Chilliwack city council meeting on September 3, attended by a contingent of citizens draping rainbow flags over themselves, all but one councilor expressed their opposition to colourful crosswalks.

"When it comes to painting rainbows, a rainbow on a crosswalk, or baby feet, crosses, anti-immigration or anything else, it becomes a political statement," Coun. Sue Knott stated. “It also becomes a target for vandalism and a canvas for intolerance and hate.”

Coun. Knott also argued that attitudes cannot be changed by rainbow crosswalks.

“If you’re looking for a more inclusive community, it starts with neighbours. Get to know your neighbours. Listen to one another. Invite the new immigrant, the gay couple, the lonely senior, or the marginalized to join you.”

She stated that she doesn’t support the installation because citizens are not paying them “to make political statements” and that it “is not an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars”.

Her statements were supported by other councilors.

Coun. Harv Westeringh worried about deviating from the uniformity of crosswalks as a safety feature. He added that he was a concerned “a little bit” due to “a lot of time…spent over the last few weeks dealing with various segments of the community either for or against”.

He stated that it was “a little bit of a divisive factor” instead of a unifying one.

Coun. Bud Mercer worried that approving a rainbow crosswalk would prompt more requests for other types of crosswalks and he wondered where it would end.

"I noticed we got one application or one email that the line was a pro-life crosswalk and I think that that's just the first of many that we're going to receive," he said. “I don’t think this city council is in the business of decorating crosswalks.”

The sole councilor who was in support of the crosswalk was Coun. Jason Lum.

Although he agreed that it was divisive, pointing out that some letters expressed views that were “borderline on hate and intolerance and ignorance”, he said the issue highlighted areas that need to be addressed.

“It’s made me disheartened by the community that we live in,” he said. “But it’s also identified that we have a long, long way to go to understand tolerance and to understand each other here in the community…. I hope that what we get out of this is not a whole bunch of anger and discontent amongst a bunch of people…but I hope it just means that we’ve got more work to do and that we put our heads down and work towards building consensus and support for tolerance in this community.”

The city passed a policy passed in 2017 preventing the authorization of any decorations on crosswalks that support any political or religious movements. 

Mayor Ken Popove stated that he wants everyone to get along and work together, and agreed with Coun. Lum that there is work to do.

Although Mayor Popove said he would deny the request “for right now”, he added: “Just so folks know, I don’t have a problem with it at this point”.

Although Fraser Valley Pride was held in Abbotsford in July, Chilliwack doesn't have its own Pride parade or festival yet.

However, the first annual Chilliwack Pride BBQ was held on August 24 to lay the groundwork for one to develop. In August 2018, Chilliwack RCMP introduced the Safe Place Program in which participants can display decals that indicate where LGBT people can seek assistance in case of an emergency.