La Ronge celebrates inaugural Pride parade

Residents in northern Saskatchewangathered in La Ronge Saturday to march in the town's first-ever Pride parade.

Lead organizer Jordan McPhailestimates between 100 to 120 people took part in the event, including several MLAs and people from communities north and south of the town.

"This is one of those events that you're telling somebody that we understand where you're coming from. We are a community that is ready to accept you with open arms and you can be yourself whenever you want to be," McPhail said after Saturday's event.

• Regina Queen City Pride has record parade attendance despite rain
• La Loche celebrates 1st Pride parade

"For a lot of people they said this is the first time that they've been able to walk down Main Street and be proud of that fabric of their being."

'Awesome atmosphere'

Members of the regional fire department led the parade, which took participantsnear the town's shoreline, where someone even boated by with a Pride flag.

"It was just an all around great parade and awesome atmosphere," said McPhail.

McPhail, who has been involved with other human rights issues, was asked organize the event by community members.

He said the parade is an important way for those who do identify asLGBTin the area to know that resources do exist.

McPhail, who is not LGBT, said moving forward he hopes to step away from the top organizer role and see othersin the community take on the event.

Very 'inclusive'

McPhaildescribed people in the town and surrounding areas asinclusive and accepting to those who are LGBT, mainly, he believes, because of the high Indigenous population.

"Indigenous people in the early times and even to today, they held the two-spirit people in a very high honour," he said. "Indigenous people in the North have always been very accepting of each other."

He said that positivity was reflected in the energy of Saturday's event, which went without protest from anyone in the community.

Transportation barrier

Moving forward, McPhail wants to make it easier for those in more remote areas, such as Fond-du-Lac, Uranium City and Wollaston Lake, to be able to attend Pride events.

"Those three communities are strictly fly-in so to get people here, if you wanted to attend this parade, it could cost you up to $800 for just one person to come here."

In the future he would like to see efforts made for air or bus services to sponsor a few seats.