Saskatoon shows its Pride with largest parade to date, and organizers say the stakes are high
![Pride Parade (Hayatullah Amanat/CTV News)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/6/22/pride-parade-1-6937611-1719102996332.png)
Over a hundred floats, representing institutions from across Saskatchewan took part in the 2024 Pride Parade — Saskatoon's largest annual parade event.
The parade started off with overcast and light rain, but after every storm came a rainbow, as the clouds cleared away to the sun and hot temperatures.
Blake Tait, the spokesperson for the event, says this year's parade was estimated to be about one thousand people larger than the 2023 parade for an attendance of over nine thousand.
"It's one of the ten largest pride parades in the country," said Tait.
(Hayatullah Amanat/CTV News)
A member of the community himself, pride was a very important outlet for Tait to find acceptance.
"Pride as a child for me was something that was so important in making me feel safe and supported in my community," said Tait.
This comes at a time where the community members are advocating against provincial legislation they say infringes on their rights.
Saskatchewan Party MLAs were barred from joining Saskatoon Pride over the controversial new law, which requires schools to disclose to parents if their child wants to go by a different name or pronouns while in school.
Critics have said the law effectively requires teachers and school administrators to "out" their gender non-conforming students, whether or not they feel safe sharing that information with their parents. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has said it will be up to school divisions to punish teachers who choose not to follow the rules.
Pride organizations in Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert also moved to ban Sask. Party MLAs from events in their cities this month.
"It feels like everything is black and white, it's really hard to be a queer person in society. It feels a lot like we've been going backwards for years, but it's very much in the forefront now," said Tait.
(Hayatullah Amanat/CTV News)
While the Pride parades held across the globe in the month of June were made possible by decades of hard-won political struggle, for those in the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, it's also just a good time.
"It's a real party. I enjoyed walking it this year. Everyone is accepted no matter who they are, or what they are," said Darren Woff, who was with the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation float.
Police were invited to attend Saskatoon's parade in uniform this year, breaking from last year's agreement — some were spotted with pride emblems on their uniforms.
The parade route tracked up Spadina Crescent into the downtown, before ending near River Landing, where festival grounds had been set up.
Speakers, food, beer gardens, and a marketplace were part of the post-parade festival, which continued on for hours after Saskatoon's largest-ever pride parade had ended.
-With files from Rory MacLean
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6944496.1719545086!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic anxiety about his candidacy
A raspy, sometimes halting U.S. President Joe Biden repeatedly sought to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Analysis of the CNN Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first of two planned presidential debates.
FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs and a variety of false and misleading information as they faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election.
Fines related to neighbour's 443 noise complaints at centre of B.C. dispute
A B.C. condo owner who was fined tens of thousands of dollars over hundreds of noise complaints made by his downstairs neighbour was partially successful in having the penalties overturned.
EXCLUSIVE Canadian lawyers play key role in money laundering, says financial intelligence report
A report by Canada's financial watchdog obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation working in collaboration with CTV News looked at Canadian lawyers' potential role in money laundering schemes, including those by organized crime groups like biker gangs and drug cartels.
Legal action coming to recover COVID benefit overpayments
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'No additional flights will be cancelled': WestJet avoids strike as feds order binding arbitration
The federal government ordered binding arbitration in the labour dispute between WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) on Thursday.
Ottawa police warn residents to avoid Facebook Marketplace when looking for a place to rent
Ottawa police are going as far as to tell people to stay away from Facebook Marketplace altogether when looking for a place to rent because of the prevalence of scams.