Guelph Pride is an LGBT pride festival, held annually in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.[2]

Guelph Pride
TypePride festival
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersGuelph, Ontario, Canada
Region served
Guelph
Chair of the Committee
Martin Straathof[1]
Websitewww.guelphpride.com

Organized by the Guelph Pride Committee with the assistance of Out on the Shelf, the city's local LGBT library and resource centre,[3] the event takes place in May each year.[4] The event generally takes place as the first Pride celebration in the Southern Ontario region each summer.[5]

Held for the first time in 2003, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013.[2] Prior to the launch of its own Pride festival, Guelph held events as part of Waterloo Region's tri-Pride.[6] tri-Pride and its former name Waterloo-Wellington Regional Pride Committee with a number of community partners assisted with the transition to create Guelph's own pride festival committee [7] In 2013, the organization also launched Winter Pride, a smaller separate program of events which takes place in February.[3]

The organization is well-supported by community leaders. Former mayor Karen Farbridge has officiated the official raising of the rainbow flag to kick off the event,[4][8] and Liz Sandals, the city's provincial MPP, has also attended events and supported the organization.[9]

The organization also works to help build and develop LGBT resources throughout Southwestern Ontario; in 2011, they donated several hundred books to the Thames Art Gallery in Chatham to help build a local LGBT library and archive.[10]

Unlike many larger pride festivals, Guelph Pride does not currently hold a parade, instead focusing on a more modest program of family and community events.[9] Its weeklong program of events currently culminates in an afternoon family fair at the city's West End Community Centre on the final weekend, followed by a pride dance in the evening.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Home". Guelph Pride. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  2. ^ a b "Guelph seniors centre hosts Pride Week discussion". Guelph Mercury, May 9, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Taking pride in diversity". The Ontarion, February 13, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Pride flag hoisted at Guelph city hall to officially launch Pride Week". MSN Canada, May 7, 2013.
  5. ^ "Prides to watch out for". Xtra!, May 29, 2009.
  6. ^ "It takes a village to raise a Pride". Xtra!, May 29, 2003.
  7. ^ http://www.grandriver-rainbowhistory.ca/tri-PrideEvents/2003tri-Pride/2003-06-14GuelphPridePoster.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  8. ^ "Pride Week takes flight in city; Mayor on hand to fly rainbow flag". Guelph Mercury, May 27, 2008.
  9. ^ a b "Pride picnic revival planned". The Record, May 29, 2006.
  10. ^ "Exhibit takes a look at local LGBTQ history, culture". Chatham This Week, December 7, 2011.
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