Pride Parades and Celebrations in Canada
Pride Month
June is Pride Month for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and all those who identify within the LGBTQ2+ community. Pride Month is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals, groups and organizations that helped in the ongoing fight to recognize the rights of the LGBTQ2+ community.
To show your support throughout the month, you can download and use the Pride Month Microsoft Teams background.
Pride Season
In Canada, local Pride events span over the course of several months. Pride Season is a unifying term that refers to the period between June and September when LGBTQ2+ communities and allies come together at different times throughout summer to spotlight the resilience, talent, and contributions of LGBTQ2+ communities in many Canadian cities.
Pride Parade
The first Pride marches took place in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago on June 27 and June 28, 1970 the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The Month of June would become known as Pride month around the world. The first Pride parades in Canada were held in the summer of 1979 in Montreal and Vancouver. The turning point in the liberation of the gay community in Canada would come on February 5, 1981 when police raided four Toronto gay bathhouses. The gay community mobilization and demonstration that followed this event became the first official Pride march in Toronto and is often considered the Canadian version of the Stonewall Riots.
Pride Parade dates in Canada
| Date | Location (City, Province) | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|
|
June 6 |
Winnipeg, Manitoba |
First Sunday in June |
|
June 6 |
Kitchener/Tri-Cities, Ontario |
First Sunday in June |
|
June 12 |
Regina, Saskatchewan |
Second Saturday in June |
|
June 13 |
Whitehorse, Yukon Territories |
Second Sunday in June |
|
June 19 |
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
Third or Fourth Saturday in June |
|
June 27 |
Toronto, Ontario |
Last Sunday in June (online in 2021) |
|
July 4 |
Victoria, British Columbia |
First Sunday in July |
|
July 11 |
St-Johns, Newfoundland |
Second Sunday in July |
|
July 25 |
London, Ontario |
Last Sunday in July |
|
July 31 |
Charlottetown, PEI |
Last Saturday in July |
|
August 1 |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
First Sunday in August |
|
August 7 |
Saint-John, New-Brunswick |
First or Second Saturday in August |
|
August 8 |
Fredericton, New-Brunswick |
Second Sunday in August |
|
August 15 |
Montreal, Quebec |
Third Sunday in August |
|
August 21 |
Halifax, Nova Scotia |
Third Saturday in July *Due to COVID, the 2021 parade is happening on August 21, 2021 |
|
August 28 |
Moncton, New-Brunswick |
Last Saturday in August |
|
August 29 |
Ottawa, Ontario |
Usually happens the Last Sunday of August |
|
September 5 |
Calgary, Alberta |
First Sunday in September |
|
September 5 |
Quebec, Quebec |
First Sunday in September |
|
N/A |
Edmonton, Alberta |
Edmonton has not had a pride parade since 2018 which was held on the second Saturday in June |
ESDC Pride Parade banners
As part of ESDC’s commitment for diversity and inclusion, a Pride Parade banner has been created for the department to participate in Pride Parade.
If you would like a banner to celebrate a parade in your area, please contact us one (1) month in advance and we will be happy to lend you one.
Please submit a banner request to : NA-Diversite-EE-Diversity-GD@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca