Organizers and participants take part in the 10th annual Battlefords Pride parade in North Battleford on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The parade starts at the North Battleford Library and ends at Kinsmen Park, where a fair takes place. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

BATTLEFORDS PRIDE WEEK

‘We’re queer, we’re here and we’re not going away’: Battlefords Pride celebrates 10th annual parade

Jul 28, 2025 | 12:18 PM

When Bobbi Sue Thompson talks about Pride, she thinks of the young people who risk losing everything when they come out.

“Because there’s a lot of kids that if they come out, they’re homeless. I’ve seen it happen,” said Thompson, president of Battlefords Pride.

“A friend of mine was a foster kid and got kicked out on a Sunday afternoon when they found out that they hadn’t truly renounced being transgender … and they got kicked out by the foster parents.”

On Saturday, July 26, about a dozen of people lined downtown streets for North Battleford’s 10th annual Pride parade. 2SLGBTQ+ flags waved as music played, marking a decade of the community celebrating diversity and visibility.

Following the parade, a free outdoor festival featuring live music, bounce castles, vendors, balloon artists, and a range of family-friendly entertainment was hosted at Kinsmen Park.

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Bobbi Sue Thompson, president of the Battlefords Pride. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Thompson said seeing the turnout made her proud of how far the Battlefords has come.

“It’s looking good. It’s really looking good. That’s just starting, and there’s a lot of people here,” she said. “I’m really pleased, because we’re all about visibility and making people see that diversity exists, and it’s a good thing.”

She has been with Battlefords Pride since its early days and said the parade’s longevity proves change can happen even in rural areas of Saskatchewan.

“We’re standing, we’re like that one tree in the middle of the desert, standing, you know, standing tall,” she said. “We’re queer, we’re here and we’re not going away.”

Among those marching was Saskatoon-Meewasin NDP MLA Nathaniel Teed, the first openly gay member elected to Saskatchewan’s legislature and the party’s shadow minister for 2SLGBTQ+ affairs.

“It’s so amazing to see smaller communities come together to celebrate Pride,” Teed said. “We’re able to come to support from other communities around the province, and bring our presence to North Battleford to celebrate diversity and celebrate the inclusion.”

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For Teed, having 2SLGBTQ+ representation in politics matters.

“I always say openly, because we know there were probably people in the past, but we never had an authentic voice in the legislature before,” he said.

“Representation is really important to me … If even one queer or trans kid comes to the legislature and sees themselves … and knows that, it does get better, then, we’ve been successful at supporting our community.”

Don McBean, left, MLA for Saskatoon Chief Mistawasis, stands with Saskatoon-Meewasin NDP MLA Nathaniel Teed, centre, and Hugh Gordon, MLA for Saskatoon Silverspring, right. All three are members of the Saskatchewan NDP. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

(Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Thompson, who grew up in the region, said life was much harder for 2SLGBTQ+ people in the past.

“I wasn’t out in the 70s, but I had friends that were and, yeah, it wasn’t great for them,” she said. “They’ve got stories that are not real rosy… a lot of violence, a lot of hatred, and really they left for places that were more accepting. And I think… rather than leave to find acceptance, I think we need to bring acceptance in so that everybody’s accepted.”

She hopes Pride will remind people that allyship can be as simple as standing up for others.

“You don’t have to come out waving, waving a pride flag… Just show your support for basic human decency,” she said.

“We’re not asking for anything that the rest of society doesn’t have already. We’re not asking for special privilege. … We’re asking for what you already have.”

(Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com