Saskatchewan

Queen City Pride celebrates 1st in-person parade since pandemic began

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols, the annual Queen City Pride Parade returned to Regina this weekend.

Rainbows, smiles and pride return to downtown Regina

Thousands took to the streets of Regina to celebrate Pride on Saturday. (CBC)

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols, the annual Queen City Pride Parade returned to Regina this weekend.

Eighty-five groups registered to walk in Saturday's parade, which began at noon.

Queen City Pride co-chair Dan Shier said after a two-year break, things felt a little rusty — but the overall feeling was excitement to be back.

"It's really exciting to have a full, super-big street full of people ready for the parade," Shier said as groups filled the streets at the starting point on 15th Avenue between Rose Street and Broad Street. 

"There's probably a few thousand people on the street right now. And yeah, we're just excited to get going."

Having to halt the annual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now being able to bring the parade back, made Saturday's parade even more special, he said.

"The pandemic definitely had an impact on everybody, and especially on the LGBTQ community."

'It's really exciting to have a full, super-big street full of people ready for parade,' Queen City Pride co-chair Dan Shier said as the event returned to Regina on Saturday. (CBC)

Queen City Pride board member Nathan Holten said that even though the organization had the green light to hold the parade, there were still precautions.

"We are providing hand-sanitizing stations all along the route and we are still encouraging physical distancing," Holten told Saskatchewan Weekend host Shauna Powers in a Saturday interview.

The Pride parade in Regina has grown to become one of the city's most colourful and recognized events, and typically has over 4,000 participants.

The parade moved through the downtown core and ended up at the legislative grounds, where the Out in the Park event offered a full day of activities including live music. 

Shier says it's still very important to celebrate Pride every year.

"It's still very much a struggle for our community to live their lives in equity and freedom," he said.

The message of the day for Shier was simple.

"It's always important to celebrate Pride. Happy Pride, Regina." 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fiona Odlum

CBC Staffer

Fiona is a contributor at CBC Saskatchewan. She is from Winnipeg and that is where she started her broadcasting career more than 15 years ago. Fiona has done everything from traffic reporting in a helicopter, to breaking news, to anchoring and hosting talk radio across the country, to telling weather stories.