Vibrant and inclusive: Vancouver's 46th Pride Parade draws massive crowd - Action News
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Vibrant and inclusive: Vancouver's 46th Pride Parade draws massive crowd

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to downtown Vancouver on Sunday for Canada's oldest pride parade that celebrates and supports the LGBTQ2+ community.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unexpected appearance in city's West End before parade started

People carry a big rainbow flag while parading across a city road.
People watch from a walkway as the Pride Parade passes in Vancouver, B.C., Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to downtown Vancouver on Sunday for Canada's oldest pride parade that celebrates and supports the LGBTQ2+ community.

The 46th annual Vancouver Pride Parade kicked off at the intersection of Davie and Denmanstreets, making its way around the West End on Beach Avenue and Pacific Street, before ending in a festival near B.C. Place.

The route, which was implemented last year, is longerbut also flatter and wider, making it easier to access and navigate for people with mobility challengesin response to an accessibility consultation that began in2019.

The parade, which ran from noonto 3p.m., featured colourful floats, music, performances, lively marchers and enthusiastic spectators.

People dressed up pose for a photo before the Pride Parade in Vancouver
Vancouverites took to the streets in brightly coloured outfits. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

First-time pride parade attendeesDan Morris and his daughter Roxie travelled from Abbotsford, B.C.,to join in on the festivities.

"We are here to celebrate love and everybody being equal and all of their rights," said Morris.

Roxie, 14, said she has wanted to join the parade for many years.

"Finally this year, [and] it's magical," she said. "[Feels] absolutely amazing, I almost started crying earlier."

Bunch of people at a parade wearing colorful clothes and holding banners
The parade featured more than 100 organizations on a route that covered more than three kilometres. (CBC)

For another marcher,Kerstin Holzmueller and her family, attending the parade has become a cherished tradition.

"We love Pride.We come every year," Holzmueller told CBC News. "Everyone is welcome, I think that's just what it comes down to."

While the parade is a joyful celebration, some attendees emphasized the need for continued advocacy.

"There is a lot more safe spaces thatneed to be created, events geared solely for them," said Jay Cherie.

This year, the Vancouver Pride Society also hosted Queer Rights Summit, addressing the challenges confronting queer communities in Canada and globally.Organizers sayit's a chance for the community to come togethertalk about advocacyand how they can amplify minority voices.

Trudeau makes appearance

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unscheduled stop at Vancouver's Pride festivities but did not walk in the annual downtown parade.

Wearing a black T-shirt with a rainbow-coloured feather, grey pantsand black running shoes, Trudeau walked a block in the city's West End, greeting people and taking selfies.

People posing for a photo during a parade.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with people along Davie Street before the Pride Parade in Vancouver. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

Trudeau previously attended the city's pride parade back in 2016 and 2018.

Vancouver's first unofficial Pride Parade was held in 1978 as a protest march. The city's first officially permitted Pride Parade was held in 1981.

With files from Pinki Wong and The Canadian Press