Pride Month a success for Alberta towns this year, despite an increase in backlash
CBC
On a sunny evening last week, a crowd of revellers celebrating Pride Month in Westlock, Alta., painted a rainbow crosswalk for the first time in the town's history.
Despite some worries that the event could be disrupted by protests, it went off without a hitch.
"I know that this is a kind and loving and compassionate community," Mayor Ralph Leriger said at the event. "I had faith that they would show up to support, and they have."
The crosswalk project had been proposed by the Thunder Alliance, a group that supports members of the LGBTQ community at R.F. Staples Secondary School in the town 90 kilometres north of Edmonton.
In May, councillors voted unanimously to support painting the crosswalk on 106th Street, between Westlock's town hall and the Royal Canadian Legion. But at a council meeting June 12, some people showed up to voice angry objections.
Protesters asked if the town should use its authority to support a group's interest. One resident wrote to council comparing the Pride crosswalk to the Nazi flag, calling it a means to promote an agenda.
"We did receive a lot more pushback than we anticipated," Heidi Mills, a school social worker and a lead teacher with the Thunder Alliance, said at the crosswalk-painting event.
"Despite all of the hate that we've received, look at this crowd," she said, gesturing to the group of more than 200 people. "It's giving me goosebumps right now."
Like Westlock, other small towns across Alberta this June celebrated the LGBTQ community with crosswalk paintings, parade floats and outdoor events.
Every year, more communities are embracing Pride. But politicians, police and LGBTQ groups are growing increasingly concerned about outspoken backlash promoting division and hate.
Alberta RCMP saw a spike in reported hate incidents in June compared to previous years.
By the end of the month, police had received 14 reports about incidents targeting LGBTQ people, compared with five reports in June 2022. Reports included graffiti, the theft of a Pride flag and tire burnouts on rainbow crosswalks.
"There's been more sidewalks created this year than ever, which is great," said RCMP Supt. Mike McCauley. "But unfortunately, it's leading to more damage and more acts of hate."
He cited incidents of crosswalk vandalism in Okotoks, south of Calgary, and Ponoka, north of Red Deer.
Cambridge council has voted to request a pedestrian safety review of Cedar Street from the region after two back-to-back collisions last week, one of which killed a three-year-old girl.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation has received a $1-million donation to create an endowment fund that it will use to upgrade common areas at the Charlottetown hospital.
A new study by the Center for European Policy Analysis suggests Russia and China are pulling ahead of NATO nations, including Canada, in the race to develop and field drones capable of operating in harsh Arctic conditions.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump hasn't given him any indication that he's willing to walk away from the North American free trade deal that was struck during his first term at the White House.
A Toronto man has been charged for allegedly defrauding 28 investors of $6.6 million they provided to trade in foreign exchange.
Flu season has started early this year, according to an update from local health officials, who report hospitals are seeing more admissions, emergency room visits, and community outbreaks.
U.S. President Donald Trump's point-person on trade laid out a series of conditions Wednesday that Canada must meet in order to extend the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement (CUSMA) when it comes up for a review next year — revealing publicly for the first time what the administration expects Prime Minister Mark Carney to do to keep the pact for the long term.
Mitchell Rose, 32, is now facing a third charge of attempted murder following a series of attacks in an apartment building on Anspach Street in St. John's last week.
Nova Scotia’s population dropped by nearly 1,400 people in the third quarter of 2025, marking the first decline since 2020 and the largest decline in a decade.
Horizon Health says it has a comprehensive surge plan for the holiday season but is asking people to consider other options to avoid crowding emergency rooms.
The four aerial ski lifts at Mont‑Sainte‑Anne are set to resume operations after Quebec’s building authority lifted an order that had shut them down last week over electrical safety concerns.
WARNING: This story contains profanity and details of racist language.
Blizzard conditions in Saskatoon will ease throughout the evening Wednesday, but the bad weather in Regina and southeastern Saskatchewan will last well into the night, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).