The Battlefords Pride Parade participants took to the streets on Saturday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Celebrating diversity

Pride Week wraps up with Diversity Vigil and annual parade

Aug 23, 2021 | 1:47 PM

Battlefords Pride members are pleased with the success of this year’s local Pride celebrations.

The week-long event concluded Sunday with music and fun activities near the Chapel Gallery.

The organization’s committee president, Bobbisue Thompson, said she hopes Pride Week each year brings people together and helps raise awareness of the LGBTQ community.

“We just want to make this a great event for the community at large, and a great representation of our specific community,” she said.

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Supporters took part in the Pride Parade Saturday. Participants walked along the roadway throughout North Battleford, escorted by a Community Safety Officer. Some decorated vehicles also joined on the route.

Prior to the walk, the Pride group held a Diversity Vigil at Central Park in North Battleford to honour all marginalized people who experienced or continue to suffer persecution in their lives.

“We wanted to have a vigil, not just for LGBT people, but we wanted to acknowledge the absolute disasters we’re finding out about that were called the residential schools,” Thompson said.

Artist Janelle Pewapsconias reads a poem during the Diversity Vigil on Saturday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

Artist Janelle Pewapsconias, from Little Pine First Nation, spoke during the Vigil and the launch of this year’s Pride Parade.

Battlefords Pride committee member Kelly Waters said she was moved by Pewapsconias’ performance and poetry.

“It set the tone that what we were doing was really important, and it felt that way,” Waters said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow