NWT Pride will join Yellowknife's Canada Day parade for 1st time

In the spirit of declaring 2018 their "Year of Pride,"NWT Pride will be joining the Canada Day parade in Yellowknife.

This is the first time NWT Pride is joining in the Canada Day festivities.

Leslie Champ, member at large of NWT Pride, said it's not just a new step but a big one too.

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He's the organizer of the NWT Pride community's involvement in the Canada Day festivities. "So we can celebrate not just on one day of the year, but 365 days of the year," he said.

They've been holding othermonthly opportunities toget involved with the queer and transgender community in Yellowknife leading up to their annual Pride Festival this summer, fromAug. 8 to 10.

We can celebrate ...365 days of the year.-Leslie Champ,NWTPride

Champ said he's experienced for himself the openness that Yellowknife offers to its LGBTQcommunity, and that joining the parade isn't just a way to feel likepart of the community but also a way to give back to it.

"We want to integrate ourselves into the community and show that we are a culture and a community within the greater community of Yellowknife itself," said Champ. "We want to say thank you to the city of Yellowknife for being so open and loving towardus."

The Yellowknife Rotary Club hosts the Canada Day parade every year. Darin Benoit,the committee chair for the parade,said he's proud to see the way the parade has expanded and evolved over the years as more groups join in.

"They're more than welcome," Benoit said of NWT Pride joining the upwards of 30 groups he said participateeach year.

Yellowknife unity

"[The parade] brings Canadian unity," said Benoit. He said the eventgives you an idea of how lucky we are to live in Canada and loves to see new citizens in the city joining in.

Champ, who moved to Yellowknife from Ottawa three years ago, said people in Yellowknife don't care who you are as long as you're helping to make itan amazing place.

"I've lost my heart to the North. I'm quite passionate about it. About how much I love this place and how much this place has been a healing centre for myself," he said.

NWT Pride is returning that kindness and opening their hearts and arms to the city they call home, inviting people to come out and celebrate with them, whether they're members of the LGBTQcommunity or as allies.

"There's nothing to be scared of," Champ said. "We are bringing love, respect, acceptance. We have benefited because the city has been open-minded and welcoming with open arms."