With a bass beat and a lot of enthusiasm, Timmins showed its Pride this weekend.
The Fierté Timmins Pride 11th annual rally and parade took place at Hollinger Park from 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, the parade set out down Burnette Road at 3 p.m.
“We’ve had significantly good turnouts at every event,” said Fietre Timmins Pride coordinator Natalie Austin. “We’re hoping for the same today and tonight.”
This year’s event focused on lifting the voices of Indigenous communities and two-spirit folks and organizers have met with representatives from Mattagami First Nation to facilitate a long-term commitment to that idea.
“We came together to discuss how we can prioritize and amplify two-spirit voices in our Pride work moving forward,” said Julie Nobert-DeMarchi during the event. “This work is a priority.”
The importance of supporting young people who are part of the 2SLGBTQIA community was front and centre as well.
“Child services, school boards, elementary teachers, that is important to recognize,” she said. “When people are working against youth being able to be who they are, the people who are supporting the youth and funding the activities that need to happen so we can support the youth when they need it.”
There was only one incident with a protestor in the Hollinger Park parking lot, but it had little effect on the mood around the stage, where music, conversation, and laughter could be heard from all directions.
While in recent memory, Timmins Pride has been held in September, plans are in the works to move the event to June 2025.
“We’re going back to June,” said Sophie Cloutier. “The whole spirit of it, because it is Pride month, and we’ve had construction and a lack of volunteers, but now we’re back to full strength and going back to June.”
The grand finale for Pride Week is the drag show at the Surge Sports Lounge at 71 Algonquin Blvd E tonight at 7 p.m. The event is for those 19 years of age or older. Tickets are still available online.
