Sidewalks covered in white paint; some bore “Fear God” stencil

Heather Wright/The Independent

Laurie Taylor had to come to LCCVI to see it for herself.

The Petrolia woman stood crying at the PRIDE sidewalk at LCCVI, frustrated, angry and sad to see that overnight someone had used what appeared to be a roller and some white paint to cover the sidewalk. At the north end, vandals used a stencil and black paint to emblazon “Fear God” in capital letters. There was also a cross drawn with spray paint.

It was one of four PRIDE sidewalks damaged overnight. A small crossing at leading to the front doors of Queen Elizabeth II Public School was painted white and, at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital near the eye clinic, white covered a sidewalk no more than 20 feet long. A black cross was also painted there.

At Victoria Hall on Greenfield Street, the lighted crosswalk bearing the inclusive sidewalk was also painted over. White paint also marked the street heading north where tires travelled over the wet paint. The “Fear God” stencil was also used there.

The vandalism was first noticed around 8 am according to Mayor Brad Loosley who received a call from a resident near LCCVI who saw the damage. Less than two hours later, Town of Petrolia Staff Brock Hunter, Geoff Abraham and Paul Gordon were using a power washer to lift the white paint off the crosswalk to reveal the rainbow colours again, before patrons of Victoria Playhouse Petrolia arrived for the 2 pm show.

After the VPP crosswalk was cleared, they were heading to LCCVI to clean that sidewalk as well.

Loosley stopped at the crosswalk around 11:30 am and watched the staff clean off saying he was disappointed. He added this “has got to be a scary message” for members of the LGBTQ+2S community.

“The idea is everyone’s welcome, whatever you’re gay, lesbian, white, black, whatever; you’re welcome. And we want you to feel comfortable here. And I feel bad for the people you know that take it to that point that almost personal, that I feel bad for them, because in our day and age society, and in Petrolia, everyone’s welcome here, everyone’s welcome here, and there’s no need for this kind of thing,” he tells The Independent adding “To me, it’s like a hate crime, and I don’t like to see that.”

Taylor, who’s uncle was attacked in a hate crime in Toronto, was devastated. “It’s absolutely vile. I don’t know what we expect, because there’s anti abortion billboards out in the field… it’s just so vile,” she said.

Taylor pointed out the vandalism was obviously planned. In all four locations, there are security cameras which point directly at or close to the crosswalks. Lambton OPP were are investigating..

Loosley added the high school and the town have already provided the OPP with security tape of the time in question.

“If you’re willing to do that right by a camera, and you’re willing to have a stencil ‘Fear God,’ I feel like your convictions are deeper than the law,” says Taylor.

And though not a Christian herself, Taylor says her Christian friends don’t understand the hate displayed in Petrolia either since “God teaches us to love everybody.”

This is not the first time PRIDE symbols have been vandalized in Petrolia. The owner of a local food truck has had PRIDE Flags and an awning damaged.

And in 2022, the same food truck operator’s truck was vandalized at the Petrolia Fair.