'Such a vibe': Churchill Square hosts first Pride festival in 8 years
Hundreds of people gathered in front of Edmonton City Hall Saturday to celebrate the first large Pride event in the city in four years, and the first one in Churchill Square in eight.
"It's just a great feeling for everyone, I think," Jo Binkley said.
"It's such a vibe," Avery Wonitowy said.
First-time organizers Edmonton PrideFest led the two-day event.
"I've never seen so many beautiful people in one place. It's incredible," said executive producer Trevor Watson.
"When they lifted (pandemic) restrictions on events, a group of people came together and said, 'Hey we have two months! Let's plan a massive festival!'"
Edmonton's last big pride event was in 2018.
That's when a parade on Whyte Avenue was stopped by protesters, who demanded more diversity amongst the organizers.
RARICANow was one of the groups protesting in 2018. Members marched to the festival on Saturday as welcomed guests.
"These are members of the community who are still fighting for their basic human rights all over the world," explained Watson.
"Having these safe spaces, it really means life or death for so many people in our community."
"I think it's the mainstream LGBTQ+'s responsibility to utilize their privilege in order to uplift those voices," said Boyd Whiskeyjack, who was dressed in drag as Cedar T.
Edmonton PrideFest in Churchill Square on June 25, 2022 (Jessica Robb/CTV News Edmonton).
The event was an opportunity to celebrate new milestones.
"This is my first pride. I came out exactly two years ago as a trans woman," Andie Labelle Varias.
"Being able to like come out and do something in such a big group and in such a community that I felt like I've been cut off from for the last couple years is really exciting," said Zoe Bumanis.
Organizers hope to bring in more people from the community next year, with planning already underway.
"We are in talks of bringing back a large-scale event that stretches down a street and starts with a 'p,'" Watson said.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.