The parade shut down major city streets in Victoria to accommodate the 120 floats that registered this year for the parade.
This year, CHEK News was proud to broadcast the parade live to anyone who was not able to make it in person. CHEK’s Tess van Straaten co-hosted the broadcast with local drag queen Gouda Gabor. “As a young person, I could have gotten fired from my job just for being gay, I could have been denied renting an apartment,” said Gabor. “A lot has changed even in my lifetime.”
Hosted by the Victoria Pride Society, the parade dates back to 1994 when it was approved by the city only as a sidewalk parade. Since then, it has blossomed into a more popular and important event.CHEK Newsletter Sign up for the CHEK Now daily email newsletter to get breaking news and the day's top stories sent to your email.“The vibe is electric! It’s incredible. It’s such an amazing time, people are just happy to be out and be authentic and know that today is about celebrating them,” said Mann. “It’s just a powerful thing to be here.”