The first-ever Pride Flag was officially raised today at Williams Lake City Hall.
Mayor Walt Cobb made a proclamation during the ceremony marking August 15th to 21st as Pride Week in the City.
“The City of Williams Lake wishes to encourage each and every resident, merchant, and service organization to promote the 2022 Pride in the Puddle festival and is doing so to show support of our 2sLGBTQQIA+ community.” Cobb said, “The City of Williams Lake hereby proclaims the week August 15 to 21, 2022, as Pride week in the City of Williams Lake.”
Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars was also at the ceremony to lead in drumming and prayer.
“We want to take great pride that the City of Williams Lake and the local region has embraced a Pride week to honor those 2 spirited, those LGBTQ’s history that has been something we haven’t done, not only in this region but in this province, in this country,” Sellars said.
Secretary of the Williams Lake Pride Society Billie Sheridan says it’s been a long time coming for the City to recognize Pride and the LGBTQ community in Williams Lake.
“It means so much to the LGBTQ 2 PLUS community, we are absolutely thrilled and it shows that we are here, we are part of the community and we’re just as important as everybody else,” Sheridan said.
Events are planned in the community to celebrate Pride week.
“Tuesday (August 16) the Cariboo Run Club is doing a Pride Run, Wednesday (August 17) the Boys and Girls Club is doing a tied dye shirt day, and Saturday (August 20) we have Pride in the Park starting at 4 in Boitanio Park followed by the Williams Lake Pride Parade at 8:30 and we’ll go through downtown Williams Lake and it will be full of lights, colors, music, and most of all full of pride,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan noted these are family-friendly events, open to the public, free, and we want people to come out and show their support.
“If you’re an Allie please support, if you’re LGBTQ this is your time, this is your time to shine and it’s your time to show your pride and we’re hoping to see a lot of people come out on Saturday at the Park and the Parade,” Sheridan said.