Petition to Gananoque Town Council: Remove or Repaint Unsafe Park Street Crosswalk

The newly painted crosswalk on Park Street in Gananoque poses a serious hazard to pedestrians.  Volunteers used ordinary household paint to create a Pride/Truth-and-Reconciliation crosswalk, but this paint is extremely slippery when wet and contains no reflective additives.  Official guidelines warn that “durable skid resistant pavement markings… [must be] inherently non-slip or [include] non-slip additives” .  In fact, community safety groups emphasize using grit or special “grip” paints for crosswalk art to prevent slips .  By contrast, water-based house paints (as reportedly used here) can become slick and almost ice-like when wet, endangering children, seniors, and all pedestrians.  The current surface also lacks retro-reflective glass beads or striping, meaning it is invisible at night, contrary to the Ontario Traffic Manual’s requirement that crosswalk markings be “reflective as per the… Ontario Traffic Manual” .  Simply put, this home-painted crosswalk fails to meet any safety standards and has turned a place of safe crossing into a public liability.

Safety Hazards: Slippery, Non-Reflective Surface
 • Slip risk:  Ordinary paint on asphalt greatly reduces traction for walkers.  Research and municipal guidelines show that plain paint without skid additives is a known slip hazard, especially in rain or snow  .  The Town’s crosswalk lacks the textured, non-slip coating required for pedestrian safety, putting people at risk of falls and injury.
 • No nighttime visibility:  Proper crosswalk paint must include glass bead reflectors so drivers can see pedestrians at night or in poor light  .  The current rainbow paint has no reflective elements, making the stripes nearly invisible after dark.  This violates Ontario’s design guidelines which mandate high contrast, retro-reflective markings .  In short, walking across Park Street in the evening is like stepping onto black ice – the crosswalk may as well not be there.

Regulatory Violations: Non-Compliant with Ontario Standards

Ontario’s road safety regulations require crosswalks to be painted with traffic-grade materials.  A local county policy (drawing on the Ontario Traffic Manual) explicitly states that only durable, reflective pavement markings (often thermoplastic or specialized paint) may be used, and that the framed design must include white transverse lines  .  The Park Street crosswalk does not meet these requirements: no approved traffic paint or beads were used, and the colored stripes (if not bordered by white lines) break the rule that the two outer crosswalk lines “must be white and extend the entire length of the crosswalk” .  By skirting these standards, the Town has not only created a hazard, but also exposed itself to legal liability under the Highway Traffic Act and Municipal Maintenance Standards.  In effect, this unauthorized use of household paint is unlawful: Ontario’s provincial specifications (OPSS 1712/1750) demand that pavement markings and glass beads meet strict quality criteria, none of which are satisfied here.

Controversy and Vandalism: Community Concern

The Park Street crosswalk has also become a focal point for community conflict.  Shortly after it was first painted in 2021, the Pride rainbow crosswalk was vandalized within hours .  In two separate incidents in July–August 2021, drivers deliberately did burnouts and left skid marks on the rainbow stripes – acts of mischief that resulted in criminal charges  .  Local residents expressed disappointment and frustration that a symbolic gesture of inclusion was treated with such disrespect  .  (Volunteers have repeatedly repainted it after each defacement  .)  This history shows that the crosswalk is controversial and unsanctioned.  It is not an official town project and has become a lightning rod for vandalism.  Leaving it in place in its current form could invite further damage, escalating maintenance costs and public safety incidents.

Action Requested: Remove or Repaint for Public Safety

For the safety of all pedestrians, we demand that Gananoque Public Works take immediate action.  Either remove the non-standard crosswalk entirely or repaint it properly using approved, slip-resistant traffic paint with retro-reflective glass beads  .  In practical terms, this means applying the Town’s standard white ladder-striped crosswalk markings (per the Ontario Traffic Manual) and using certified pavement marking paint.  Ontario guidelines insist that crosswalks be “highly visible” at night and non-slip under all conditions  ; the current installation clearly fails both tests.  We call on the Mayor, Council, and Public Works to prioritize pedestrian safety over appearance or symbolism.

Please join this petition to insist that Gananoque officials restore safe, compliant crosswalks on Park Street.  Sign below if you agree: our families and visitors deserve a safe way to cross the street, free from unnecessary risk.  Public safety cannot be painted over with cheap household paint.  It’s time for the Town to correct this mistake and protect its citizens.

Sign this petition now to support safe pedestrian crossings in Gananoque. Thank you for standing up for public safety.

Sources: Ontario safety and maintenance standards   ; traffic-safety experts on non-slip crosswalk paint ; news reports of the Park Street rainbow crosswalk and related vandalism  .