(We caught up with Marion Steele the Chair of West Side Pride, and Kevin Hau responsible for the Community Fair, when they took a moment to stop their work to take this photo. Photos: Stittsville Central)
The ‘Pride’ festival in Stittsville returned for its second year with a large number of attendees, vendors and entertainment to fill the July 27th sun-filled afternoon of celebration. When organizing the event, Marion Steele, the Chair of West Side Pride, and others from the community wanted to convey that there is Pride in small towns and the importance of hosting these events everywhere by bringing the LGBTQIA+ community of Western Ottawa and surrounding Ottawa Valley to Stittsville.
The event took place from noon until 5:00pm and began with attendees visiting the numerous vendors while enjoying the rhythms of an Indigenous drumming group. Marion opened the ceremony with a welcome to everyone and shared her experience with Pride events she has been involved in and organized over the years.
Others who spoke at the event were Fae Johnstone, a trans woman and small business owner. Fae spoke of her experience with years of practical expertise in 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and advocacy, feminist analysis and the nonprofit sector. Lyra Evans, a Ottawa-Carleton Board of Education Trustee, an environmental chemist and activist having worked with organizations like Kindspace and the Youth Services Bureau on helping LGBTQ and homeless youth for over a decade. Bruce Fanjoy, the federal Liberal candidate for Carleton, was also invited to speak, congratulating the organizers and volunteers, sharing among other things and importantly, his commitment to standing up for everyone’s right to be themselves. Councillor Glen Gower welcomed everyone and thanked the organizers and those sponsoring the event, while providing his support and excitement for the second year that Pride was being held in Stittsville.
There were musical performances by the band ‘Those Who’ and drag shows hosted by Sophia Sapphire. A children’s games and play area called Kids Can was well-visited by all ages. There were various vendor and booth displays that shared information about a range of impactful causes, but the majority of booths related to Pride and LGBTQIA+ issues in our communities. Various food trucks were on-site to sate your appetite.
The organizers and volunteers of the 2024 West Side Pride Festival should be pleased with the day’s success. With Marion’s passion and vision, the success of this Festival will continue for years to come.
To learn more or to join the group, visit the West Side Pride website. You can follow West Side Pride on Facebook and Instagram (@westsideprideot).
