This is Pride Week, and already, Timmins Pride has had a lot of events — workshops on inclusivity among them.
The two drag shows on Saturday are sold out but earlier in the day, there’s a rally at the Hollinger Park Pavilion.
President Matthieu Villeneuve says founding member Julie De Marchi, who is now president of Pride Canada, has secured money from Ottawa for extra security at all Pride events across the country.
“To make sure that though there is a rise in hate and a lot of that hateful speech and protesters, we’re making sure that our Pride events are safe for everyone,” remarks Villeneuve.
The rally begins at 11:00am Saturday.
“So that’s where we’re just going to take a moment and celebrate Pride,” Villeneuve says. “We’re going to have games. There’s going to be community booths there as well, showing their inclusivity. There’s going to be games, there’s going to be music.”
The rally wraps up at 2:00pm with the start of the Pride parade.