University of Calgary and SU prepare for Calgary Pride Parade

By Scott Strasser, August 30 2016 —

With Calgary Pride Week in full swing, various University of Calgary groups are gearing up to participate in this year’s Pride Parade on September 4.

This year, nine U of C faculties and many other departments and student groups will march in the signature event of Calgary Pride Week.

Around 16 members from the student club Queers on Campus will be marching in the parade sporting tie-dyed shirts.

“This year is interesting, we have a couple of students from masters and PhD programs who are new to the school,” said club co-chair Zac Wierzbicki. “[University] is a really significant point of transition in peoples’ lives and we want to be there for them to build connections to the community.”

The Students’ Union will take part as an official organization for the fourth consecutive year. Last year, 20–30 students marched alongside SU and Q Centre members.

“One of our core values as an organization is inclusivity and I think this is our chance to celebrate the huge success the SU’s Q Centre has been,” SU president Stephan Guscott said.

Calgary Pride Week occurs from August 26 until September 5. The 10-day celebration includes various events to promote LGBTQ rights and inclusivity, such as panel discussions, film screenings, concerts and more.

The Calgary Pride Parade typically attracts tens of thousands of participants and onlookers. Last year’s parade saw notable attendees like Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, U of C president Elizabeth Cannon and Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke, who was the parade grand marshal.

This year’s grand marshal will be musician and writer Rae Spoon.

The parade starts at Olympic Plaza on Sunday, September 4 at 12:00 on and continues down 9th Avenue SW.