These Arty Crosswalks will Add a Little Variety to Your Commute

Seeing as Vancouver Pride has arrived, at first we thought we’d make a quick list of the cool rainbow crosswalks around town. But then figured, why not feature all of the great crosswalk art we have? While the rainbows may be the best-known motifs of the concrete canvas, there are plenty of others around the Lower Mainland that add a little colour and personality to our daily commutes. Here are some of our faves!

Unveiled in South Granville on June 21, 2019, National Indigenous Peoples Day, this three-section crosswalk adds a lot of dimension and character to the neighbourhood. It was created by Musqueam First Nation artist Robyn Sparrow, and the location was chosen for its closeness to the Musqueam village of c̓əsnaʔəm, which, over two thousand years ago, was one of the largest villages of its kind in the area.

Commercial Drive
By Transit: From Broadway-Commercial Station, take the #20 Downtown bus to East 1st Ave.

Wrapping all the way around the Commercial Drive and East 1st Ave intersection, this crosswalk acts as a vibrant welcome to Vancouver’s historic Little Italy. The project was funded by Fortis BC and made its public debut during the festivities of Italian Day in 2019. Using the Italian flag colours in a mosaic pattern, crossing these colourful markers is a sign that you’re close to some of the best gelato, espresso, and pasta in the city.

A first for the city of Burnaby, this reconciliation walk marks the efforts of a Grade 6/7 class at Westridge Elementary to celebrate and support our Indigenous communities. Finished in the summer of 2022, the black and white crossing features a thunderbird design by Coast Salish artist Atheana Picha. The idea for the project was conceived by Westridge students as its location along Drummond’s Walk Urban Trail is one they walked by every day. Those kids have since moved on to high school, but the project they inspired stands as a monument honouring the lost children during the residential school program and its survivors.

Downtown
By Transit: From Columbia Skytrain Station, take the #103 Victoria Hill bus to Elliot St and Agnes St

One of two New West projects developed by artist Rain Pierre from the Katzie First Nation, these pieces were part of a student art competition at the nearby École Qayqayt Elementary. Pierre chose two of the student’s designs and incorporated them into his own process. The results can be seen in close proximity to one another, within walking distance of the school. This piece, titled Our Children Again, contains three main images at the centre, each symbolizing the past, present and future.  It’s an inspiring message about moving towards reconciliation and honouring our indigenous community, and the land we live on.

Downtown
By Transit: From Columbia Skytrain Station, take the #103 Victoria Hill bus to Merivale St and Royal Ave

This second piece by Rain Piere and the students of École Qayqayt Elementary is titled, We Found Love. The colourful design offers a different take on the straight-up rainbow-pride crosswalk design. As Pierre says, “This art piece was to represent the LGBTQ2s+ community. It is a representation that we are all able to cross the road safely, regardless of who you love.

One of our favourite seaside walks in Metro Vancouver, Spirit Trail is a wonderful way to while away the hours either on foot or on your bike. This path design pops up around the sprawling greenway as a cool way of telling pedestrians that the route intersects with a principal roadway.

Fort Langley
By Transit: From Carvolth Exchange, take the #562 Langley Centre via TWU bus to 96th Ave and Glover Rd.

Surrey
By Transit: From King George Skytrain Station, just cross the street West, and it’s a 5-minute walk up Old Yale Rd.

Davie Village
By Transit: From Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station, take the #6 Davie bus up to Bute St.

We couldn’t leave out the OG’s of the crosswalk art scene! The Lower Mainland is fortunate to have so many pride-walks; they each are a testament to how inclusive and progressive our community is. This is only a handful of the ones you might see around town, but rest assured, whenever you’re in need of a splash of colour, you just might come across one around the corner.

To easily plan the route for your next artistic outing, you can use the TransLink Trip Planner.

The post These Arty Crosswalks will Add a Little Variety to Your Commute appeared first on West Coast Curated.