A sizable group of people were on hand to celebrate the first time the annual Pride Flag raising was held in the Northern Village of Air Ronge on Thursday, June 1 to kick of Pride celebrations in the area.
Tom Roberts, Elder for Air Ronge Council, began the ceremonies with and opening prayer and some words of support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, which includes, but is not limited to: 2Spirit; Lesbian; Gay; Bisexual; Transsexual; Queer; Questioning; Intersex and Asexual.
Mayor Julie Baschuk greeted the crowd gathered thanking the Lac La Ronge Regional Pride Committee for inviting them to participate in the official Flag Raising.
“I would like to thank the Lac La Ronge Regional Pride Committee for inviting Air Ronge to be part of the Flag Raising Ceremony.
As a community, and as a Council, we remain committed to supporting and acknowledging Pride and all the activities that support that.”
Dean Sanderson, President of the Lac La Ronge Regional Pride Committee, raised the flag.
Several events are planned for Pride Month in the community. The La Ronge and Area Family Literacy Hub and nisto ihtāwina: EYFRC help daily events June 5 to 9. They included button making on Monday; Bracelet making on Tuesday; Rainbow stem, a science-based project; Queer Storytime on Thursday; and Create a Pride Flag on Friday. Gordon Denny Community School (GDCS) students painted the Pride rainbow on their crosswalk at the school. More activities are planned throughout the month, with the Pride Parade and Festival celebrations on Saturday June 24 at Patterson Park in La Ronge.
