Preparations are officially underway to celebrate the LGBTQ community, with two days of events scheduled for next month in North Bay
Kit Paulson, is the chair of the newly formed 'March for Pride' committee. Paulson explains the group is organizing a PRIDE flag-raising ceremony at city hall on Friday, July 21, complete with guest speakers and entertainment.
The group is also in the process of arranging a 'March for Pride' on Saturday, July 22.
"We want the whole community to be a part of it, not just the LGBTQ community," said Paulson. "We want it to be a march for acceptance, and pride, and just support of this community. We want people to feel comfortable and not like they're outing themselves just by marching."
The actual route has yet to be decided, but organizers confirm it will end at the Kiwanis Band Shell at the city's waterfront for a PRIDE picnic, sponsored by the North Bay and District Labour Council.
Canada's unions proudly acknowledge they have stood up for the rights of the LGBTQ community for more than 30 years. Recognizing that other northern centres like Sudbury and Timmins host large scale PRIDE events, but North Bay does not, the local labour council offered its resources to the LGBTQ community to help make things happen.
"The Labour Council is going to put on an event from noon until 4 at the waterfront where we're going to have a barbecue and music, and it's going to be open to families and anybody who wants to come out," said Labour Council president Henri Giroux. "There will be booths there with information. At the end of the day what we're trying to do is educate the public about the LGBTQ community."
The Northern Ontario Pride Network was formed as an umbrella organization for all LGBTQ2 organizations in the north. It provides support and resources, enabling the various organizations to work together.
Samantha Elliott is the NOPN representative on the 'March for Pride' committee.
"The events that we're planning on July 21 and 22 aren't going to interfere with Sudbury Pride or anything like that, so it's an opportunity for us to invite members of the community's in neighbouring cities to our event, and to get the word out that way," said Elliott.
The events are a stepping stone for next summer, when the LGBTQ community will be responsible for organizing the entire event, while still relying on the resources being made available by the labour council. A second committee will be struck in the coming weeks, to set the wheels in motion for next year. Part of its mandate will be to decide whether the second last weekend in July will be designated as North Bay's official Pride weekend and grow it from there.
