North Battleford marked the beginning of Battlefords Pride Week with the raising of the rainbow Pride flag outside City Hall.
Mayor Ryan Bater was on hand for the flag-raising along with supporters of Pride Week including members of the Battlefords and Area Gender and Sexuality Alliance.
While the organization has had a float in the Northwest Territorial Days parade, and the Pride rainbow flag has flown at City Hall before, this is the first time Pride Week has been organized for North Battleford, according to Kay-Lynne Collier of the Battlefords and Area GSA.
“There have been small marches here and there throughout the years, but there hasn’t ever been a full official Pride Weekend or Pride Week or anything like that,” said Collier.
Collier said the goal for this weekend is to “have a good first year and make a good first impression, and we’re trying to make sure that everyone in the community can get involved. All of our events are child-friendly and family-friendly, and we’ve tried to make them free or low cost.”
While the flag-raising marked the start of the activities, most events will be taking place later in the week.
On Friday, a barbeque will be hosted behind the Catholic Family Services parking lot in the back. They will be selling burgers, veggie-burgers and pop and Freezies among other items.
Saturday will be Pride in the Park, which will happen between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the back of Central Park. There are plans for carnival games as well as canvas/painting workshops.
The Pride march is planned for Saturday at 1 p.m., starting at the Civic Centre and going mainly down 100th Street along the sidewalk. Anyone is welcome to join the march, Collier said; you do not need to be associated with a business or organization to take part.
From 9 a.m. until midnight a dance is planned, but the location was not yet nailed down as of Monday. Organizers have looked at Central Park but it is possible McPhail Park could be an alternative location.
On Sunday some workshops are planned for North Battleford library between 2 and 5:30 p.m. One of them will feature Fran Forsberg, who will be speaking at that time in a workshop entitled Supporting Gender-Creative Children starting at 2 p.m. Forsberg is the individual who launched a human rights complaint on behalf of her transgender child to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.
Collier will be doing a workshop on how to be a good support for LGBTQ friends and community members.
Finally there will be a screening behind the Catholic Family Services parking lot at 8 p.m. of the movie Milk, about the life of politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
One challenge has been scheduling the Pride activities alongside the North Battleford International Street Performers Festival, which is also happening downtown this weekend. Collier said that there have been meetings with them to work out details so that each event can co-exist separately at the same time.
“We have been co-ordinating with them to make sure,” said Collier. “We’re trying to make sure everything is harmonious and we’re not interfering with their festival, and creating a safe and accepting atmosphere.”
For his part, Mayor Bater welcomed the start of Battlefords Pride Week.
“We want to make sure this city is one that encourages inclusiveness and diversity, and that people are free to live their life how they want,” said Bater.
“And that’s partly what this is about. It was great that the volunteers of Battlefords Pride Week approached the city to do the proclamation, to do the flag-raising, and we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
Mayor Bater also indicated he plans to personally be at the Pride march on the weekend. He noted the Pride events are historic for the city.
“I believe this is a first for the city and, like I said, I think it’s long overdue, and we’re just happy to be part of it.”
More information about the Pride events can be found at their Facebook page /battlefordspride, and also at their website www.battlefordsgsa.com.
