Thunder Pride Association cancels Pride month events in Thunder Bay, including 10th annual parade

Members of the Thunder Pride Association (TPA) in Thunder Bay Ont., announced Wednesday that their upcoming Pride events have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision was a difficult one as organizers have been working hard on putting together the details of what would have been the 10th annual Pride parade, said Jason Veltri,  chair of the TPA.

"We had some really exciting ideas and plans that were starting to come together... as early as around Christmas," Veltri said in an interview with CBC News. "But you know, again it comes down to the well-being and safety of our community and unfortunately we just couldn't make it happen this year."

Veltri said organizers were looking forward to putting on a 10th anniversary parade in conjunction with the city's 50th anniversary, and are disappointed the LGBTQ2S+ community won't have a chance to celebrate pride as they normally would.

"It's the one event, or the one time of year, that our community really has an opportunity to let their hair down and you know fly their flag and show how inclusive our city has become," said Veltri.

Organizers are taking the opportunity to "re-envision" what Pride can look like "virtually" in 2020, adding that the 2021 events will be "even bigger and better", he said.

"Everybody's kind of bringing an idea to the table to reinvent what their events may have been in person, and how we can adapt those to an online virtual type of environment," he said.

Dance parties, film and literary events, and drag shows are transferable to online platforms, said Veltri.

With the approach  of Pride month in June, Veltri said the association is working to ensure it is not forgotten, and noted that conversations are taking place at a national level around adapting Pride celebrations and recognition amid the pandemic.

Contingency plans considered for 2021 Pride conference

Contingency plans for the national Pride conference and annual general meeting, which is scheduled to take place in 2021 in Thunder Bay, are still being discussed, said Veltri.

"We have to look at what travel might look like for our delegates from coast to coast coming to Thunder Bay and what potentially the virus is doing at that point," he said. "The conference will go on in one form or shape or another."

Fierté Canada Pride announced in February that their annual conference and AGM would be held in the city in 2021, with approximately 200 people expected to attend.

Veltri said the conference board of directors will take direction from public health and local and provincial governments concerning the 2021 event.