'We never let them stop us': Pride Corner on Whyte returns
A rally was held Friday at Pride Corner on Whyte, with community members coming back to the space after multiple threats of violence.
On Sept. 2, a man was reported to have threatened people gathered at Pride Corner with a bat and the corner was shut down early on Sept. 9 after reports of a serious threat of gun violence against attendees.
For two weeks, the corner remained closed, as organizers took time to finalize safety plans, exit strategies and train volunteers. Friday, they reopened with a rally against homophobia.
"Tonight, we are having a comeback rally," said Claire Pearen, an organizer. "We are out here and we are celebrating our existence and we are just coming back as strong as we can."
Pride Corner has become a gathering place for the LGBTQ2S+ community, where supporters come weekly with flags, signs, music and dancing. It was officially recognized by the city in May 2022.
Originally a spot to protest against street preachers, Pearen said the recent threats are a reminder of why the corner started in the first place.
She said it feels good to be back, and the community feels empowered to revive the corner and what it offers.
"We've already had a couple of troublemakers, but we never let them stop us. We're out here being ourselves, waving our flags, showing that the queer community is visible and taking up space," she said.
"There's really something beautiful about community and unity and that's why we're here."
With files from Matt Woodman
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.