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
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.