Pride flag 'violently ripped' down and stolen from Burlington, Ont. home
Laural Adams flies a Pride flag outside her Burlington, Ont. home every June for Pride Month. She does it to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ2+ community.
On Friday, her porch camera caught the moment the flag was stolen from her property.
“Somebody came to our house, violently ripped it down, smashed part of the light and took it,” Adams said.
“I’m proud to be an ally and it just made me really sad, because I thought we were moving in the right direction.”
She reported the incident to Halton Regional Police and contacted her local MP Karina Gould.
“Now, during Pride Month, it is even more important for us to acknowledge that we still have work to here in Burlington, in Canada to ensure a truly welcoming and inclusive community,“ Gould wrote in a statement.
Another Burlington resident, Christine Parkinson, had her pride sign stolen last month.
“A total of 11 flags were stolen from nine houses. Six flags were returned,” a Halton police spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement to CTV News Toronto.
“Some lawn signs were returned to residences last week, along with a note of apology,” the statement reads.
Police went on to say that the suspects have not been identified and investigators cannot confirm whether or not the thefts are related.
Adams says she hopes the incident will serve as a teaching opportunity.
“I hope other parents are educating their kids that this isn’t a funny teenage joke. This is actually a hate crime,” she said.
There has been controversy in the neighbourhood over flying a flag, says Adams.
It comes after a recent decision by the Halton Catholic School Board not to raise the Pride flag at its schools in June.
She got her flag from a non-profit organization called PFLAG Canada. PFLAG’s Halton chapter says they’ve seen an increase in demand this Pride month.
“We launched a Fly the Flag in Halton campaign and have sold 300+ flags in the region,” a spokesperson said.
Adams says she’s saddened by the situation, but the increase is “a good sign.”
“I think there’s good and bad to it, but hopefully the good will prevail.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.