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Mayor Ryan Bater, centre, with Bobbisue Thompson (Battlefords Pride committee president), left, and Donald Meriam (2019 Royal Patron of Battlefords Pride Week), right, gather at the flag-raising ceremony, Monday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)
Celebrating diversity

Pride Week launched in North Battleford

Aug 19, 2019 | 1:46 PM

The weather may be overcast and chilly in North Battleford, but the colours of the rainbow now fill the sky.

Pride Week officially kicked off with a flag-raising ceremony outside city hall on Monday. The aim of the week is to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and promote diversity.

This marks the third year of the annual event in the Battlefords that will include a parade on Saturday, Aug. 24.

“We want people who live and visit here to feel safe and to feel pride in who they are, and to be who they are,” Mayor Ryan Bater said.

He recalled when there were no pride events in the community and applauded the volunteers who came together to make the weeks possible.

“Our city government is proud and pleased to support it,” he said.

The Pride flag was erected outside City Hall Monday in honour of Pride Week. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

“Pride is a way to honour and respect all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, to recognize and celebrate our differences and uniqueness, and to build community and awareness through education and understanding,” he added.

Following the flag-raising ceremony, pride committee members and supporters painted a rainbow crosswalk on 101 St. at 14th Ave., near the library.

Bobbisue Thompson, Battlefords Pride committee president, hopes the week long celebration will make the community more inclusive and help stop discrimination.

“We have got remarks on Facebook,” she said. “It doesn’t matter your age, your race, your orientation, it doesn’t excuse bigotry. It is wrong, no matter who you ar, and I’m here to call it out.”

She added the community needs to know LGBTQ+ people “are here and are valid.”

“We are not some group of freaks, which unfortunately some people still believe,” she said. “We need people to realize we’re just people.”

Kelly Waters, a member of the Battlefords Pride committee, said the week is “really needed” in the community.

“I know sometimes people don’t see the point of pride because they think everybody is accepting. But when we do Pride Week, it comes out [that] not everybody is,” she said.

Volunteers picked up paint rollers to help create a rainbow crosswalk in downtown North Battleford. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Pride Week runs until Sunday, Aug. 25.

Some of the activities include the Pride Festival that will include live music at Library Park on Aug. 24 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring Mayce Achtemichuk, singer-songwriter Zayda, the band Gypsy Moonbird, Big Fat Calico Cat, rapper/poet Yung C, and The Evening Shift Band.

There will be an all-ages LGBTQ+ story time event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday at the library in North Battleford where individuals will share their personal stories.

Full details of the week’s festivities are on Battlefords Pride’s Facebook page.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

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