Port Coquitlam city hall is lit up in pink lights this week to raise awareness of Stop Bullying Day, also known as Pink Shirt Day, today.
This is the ninth year the city has joined in the national anti-bullying movement that started in 2007 after students in Nova Scotia rallied around a boy who was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt. Feb. 24 will also be the first showcase of PoCo city hall’s new decorative LED lighting, which will change colour to mark special events, holidays and cultural occasions.
“The pink lighting will be a visible reminder that people in the community continue to be negatively affected by bullying, and we need to work together throughout the year to end the cycle," Mayor Greg Moore said in a press release.
The pink lights are the first under the Illuminate City Hall program, in which LED lighting will trace the architectural lines of PoCo's 102-year-old hall throughout the year, changing colours to mark holidays and special events, including those requested by the community.
Organizations may submit an online form at www.portcoquitlam.ca/illuminate to request a change in the lighting colour to recognize occasions not already on the lighting schedule, such as community events, awareness issues or events of national or international significance. Colour choices include blue, green, magenta, pink, purple, red and yellow.
The lighting schedule currently includes: Stop Bullying Day (February), St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), National Volunteer Day (April), Earth Day (April 22), May Day (May), Canada Day (July 1), B.C. Day (August), Labour Day (September), the Terry Fox Run (September), Rivers and Trails Festival (September), Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) and Christmas in Leigh Square (December).
