Yellowknife residents celebrate third annual Pride Parade

For the third year in a row, Yellowknife beheld its annual Pride Parade, honouring the lives and struggles of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community.

While the weather wasn’t perfect, some chilly wind wasn’t enough to stop hundreds of local residents from gathering at Somba K’e park for the event. Most of the parade’s participants simply walked along the route, while others rode along in vibrantly decorated vehicles.

Thunder Normz, the Grand Marshal for the parade, said that he was happy with the turnout, and felt that the event as a whole went over very well, despite the weather.

“I was the Grand Marshal up front, and it was really cool to be in a convertible up in the front this year, and right behind us was the drag truck, so you may have seen a truck with some eyebrows and some underwear, and a beautiful mer-person in the back. It seems like everyone really put in the extra effort this year to decorate the vehicles and to show up in all their glorious Pride outfits.”

After the parade, participants and onlookers were welcomed back to Somba K’e park for some relaxation and a free barbecue put on by the Northern Mosaic Network. Prominent figures from the Mosaic Network, as well as Normz, also took to the central stage of the park to share words of encouragement.

Normz shared what he felt was the most important lesson to take away from Pride this year.

“I think that now more than ever, it’s really important that we support the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. We know that there are rights being rolled back all across the world, and if we can make sure that we celebrate, show inclusion, and show up for each other, then Yellowknife and Somba K’e will be okay, and will always be a place that’s safe for our community.”

The Northern Mosaic Network has a number of other Pride events planned throughout the rest of the summer.