'Extremely disappointing, extremely frustrating': Pride flags stolen, defaced in Norwich
Jeff Ducharme was in his home office when a young man in a truck pulled up, ran up to the front of his home in Norwich, Ont. and stole his pride flag in broad daylight.
“I wasn't particularly fazed by the loss of the $5 flag, as much as the fact that somebody was bold enough to come right up to my house and steal it off the side of my house in the middle of the day,” said Ducharme.
“We've done it every year, we put up a flag and every year goes missing. This year I put it up in between a bunch of surveillance cameras and caught him on camera,” he added.
His was just one of a few over the past week to either be stolen or spray painted in the small Oxford County town southeast of Woodstock.
Surveillance video shows a young man approach Jeff Ducharme’s home in Norwich, Ont. and steal his pride flag. (Source: Jeff Ducharme)The OPP recently sent out photos of a truck and tractor they believe to be involved in the theft of pride flags around Norwich.
On May 20, a flag was stolen from a hydro pole and another was spray painted. On May 21, two more reports came in of stolen flags in the downtown area.
Oxford County OPP say they are investigating, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been laid.
“Extremely disappointing, extremely frustrating,” said Tami Murray, president of Oxford County Pride.
Murray says the Norwich business improvement association (BIA) put the flags up around town, and within 24 hours they were stolen. She calls it “disheartening” less than a week after International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
However, over the past few days she’s seen the negative turn into a positive.
“We have received copious amounts of financial donations to support the BIA and Norwich to replace those banners,” said Murray. “In addition, we've also received some donations for community members to be able to replace their flags that are being currently destroyed in the community.”
In what is a difficult time for many in that area of the county, a local business is doing something to try and show they care.
Guns Hill Artisan Cheese wants to make a clear statement that they promote diversity and inclusion.
“What our goal is, is to take our little sidewalk that we've got here, getting into the cheese shop, and then paint it with the progressive pride flag,” said Shep Ysselstein, the shop’s owner.
Shep Ysselstein of Guns Hill Artisan Cheese near Norwich, Ont. says they will paint a progressive pride flag on their front walkway to support diversity and inclusion. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)“It’s just so that it's very clear that everybody is welcome here regardless of what your background is and where you're from and how you feel,” he added.
Ysselstein and his partner hope to have the sidewalk painted in time for the beginning of Pride month next week.
Murray says she isn’t surprised by what is happening in Norwich, as they have a history of posters and other items promoting pride being stolen.
“Flags are continuing to be torn down, and as of today, people are going on to people's personal and private properties,” said Murray. “I'm really hoping that moving forward that we consider what it is — which is a hate crime. I'm really hoping that that is something that is considered moving forward.”
The loss of his flag isn’t about to deter Ducharme from showing his support, however. Wednesday morning, he put another flag back on the front of his home.
“I support anybody who's marginalized,” said Ducharme. “My kids have friends who are in the LGBT2+ plus community, and with Pride month coming up and it's just I felt the right thing to do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.