Pride Week in Peterborough culminated on Saturday afternoon (September 28) with the annual Pride parade followed by Pride in the Park. Once again, Peterborough photographer Sean Bruce took photos of this year’s parade and shared several of them with kawarthaNOW.
Organized by Peterborough-Nogojiwanong Pride to celebrate and support Peterborough’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the parade began at Peterborough city hall before travelling down George Street to Millennium Park, where the family-friendly Pride in the Park celebration took place.
The parade reflected this year’s Pride Week theme of “Educate. Activate. Celebrate!”
Before Pride Week began on September 20, Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal made a statement to recognize and celebrate Pride Week.
“Peterborough is a city that values diversity and inclusivity,” he said. “Let’s take time to celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their invaluable contributions to the social, cultural and economic life of our city. Let’s take time to learn about the struggles and triumphs of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in their ongoing fight for a more inclusive and equitable society — discrimination, homophobia, and transphobia continue to hurt members of our community. Let’s take action to ensure that everyone is safe, valued, and loved, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“Let this week serve as a reminder of the importance of standing together against discrimination and hate. As we attend the events and festivities, let us take the time to listen, learn, and join the voices of those who continue to advocate for a more inclusive and welcoming community. We can all be allies in our daily lives.”
On Saturday afternoon, Mayor Leal also made remarks at the opening ceremony before joining the parade along with city councillors Joy Lachica and Matt Crowley. Many individuals, organizations, groups, and businesses marched in the parade and/or had booths at the Pride in the Park celebration that took place outside the Silver Bean Cafe in Millennium Park. Here are some of them:
- Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute
- Bridgenorth United Church
- Canopy Support Services
- Church of St. John the Evangelist
- Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
- Emmanuel United Church Peterborough
- First Five Club
- Five Counties Children’s Centre
- Fleming College
- GM Financial
- Kawartha Land Trust
- Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
- Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society
- Kinark
- KWIC Peterborough
- Lakefield Pride
- New Canadians Centre
- Norwood Pride
- Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
- OPSEU Local 351
- OPSEU Local 365
- PARN
- Peterborough and District Labour Council
- Peterborough Area Roller Derby
- Peterborough Federal Liberal Association
- Peterborough Kawartha NDP
- Peterborough Native Learning Program
- Peterborough Public Health
- PFLAG Canada Peterborough
- St. James United Church
- Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough
- United Church of Canada
- YES Shelter for Youth and Families
- YMCA of Central East Ontario
Although with information booths from groups and agencies that support the queer community, the Pride in the Park event after the parade featured performers, music, and a family and children’s area. A Pride open house was also held in the afternoon at the Gordon Best Theatre followed by a Pride dance in the evening, with the official Pride After Dark afterparty taking place at The Venue.
Although Pride Month is marked in June, Peterborough’s Pride Week takes place every year in September. The origins of Peterborough Pride go back to 2003, when Peterborough’s then-mayor Sylvia Sutherland proclaimed September 13th as “Gay Pride Day.” On that day, 300 people gathered in front of city hall to participate in the very first Pride parade in Peterborough.
Since then, Peterborough Pride has grown into a full week of fun and informative events in mid-September to celebrate and support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, culminating in the Pride parade and Pride in the Park event at the end of the week. The choice to celebrate Pride Week in September rather than June also recognizes the many young people who come to Peterborough in the fall to study at Trent University and Fleming College.
This story has been updated to indicate that councillor Matt Crowley also participated in the parade along with Mayor Jeff Leal and councillor Joy Lachica.
