Pride celebrations get underway on Vancouver Island this weekend

Kathryn Marlow · CBC News

· Posted: May 31, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Rainbows volition beryllium connected show successful the Cowichan Valley, the Alberni Valley, and Ladysmith this weekend, arsenic Pride events get underway successful the 3 Vancouver Island communities.

Festivities statesman successful adjacent much locations successful the coming week, including Victoria, Parksville and Nanaimo. 

Cristin Elle, president of Cowichan Pride Society, says Pride is astir some celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and advocating for their rights. 

The Cowichan Valley, which includes the metropolis of Duncan, is astir 45 kilometres northbound of Victoria. 

LISTEN: What Pride is similar successful 4 land communities: 

Elle told the CBC podcast This is Vancouver Island that her spouse is trans, and increasing anti-trans sentiment astir the satellite makes it adjacent much important to observe Pride. 

"There's a existent fearfulness astir their identities being erased," said Elle. 

"So going to Pride, being progressive successful Pride … paves the roadworthy for the younger generation."

Cowichan Pride is holding 5 events implicit 3 weeks, starting with a performance and resistance amusement connected May 31, and ending with a parade connected June 22. 

Week of events successful Alberni Valley

About 50 kilometers northwest of Cowichan Valley, organizers astatine Alberni Valley Pride are hosting a week afloat of events — starting with a car lavation connected Sunday, June 1 successful the bosom of Port Alberni. 

"[The car wash] is simply a truly bully mode to benignant of conscionable get the connection out," said Crysta Stubbs, vice seat of the Alberni Valley Pride Society.

"People travel out, clasp up signs … Let radical cognize Pride week is starting."

It's the archetypal twelvemonth Stubbs has been progressive with the organization, and she said for the astir portion radical successful the Alberni Valley are excited astir Pride. 

She told This is Vancouver Island that she does perceive immoderate pushback from radical who wonderment wherefore the 2SLGBTQ+ assemblage needs a week of celebration.

But she said she's acceptable to explicate that Pride is not astir "us" versus "them," and that it's important for the queer assemblage to get to observe themselves, and however acold they've come. 

""I americium truly excited astir the accidental to conscionable speech with people," said Stubbs.

"I don't caput having hard conversations."

Nearly 20 land communities program to celebrate 

Ladysmith, astir 90 km northwest of Victoria, is holding its Pride festival connected June 1. 

On June 2, Nanaimo, astir 110 km northwest of Victoria, kicks disconnected its festivities, which volition wrapper up with a parade connected June 8. 

Victoria has events June 1 and 12. It's main celebrations volition beryllium held at the opening of July, wrapping up with a parade connected July 6. 

LISTEN: A resistance king talks astir however Victoria shows comparison with TV shows similar Drag Race 

There are besides Pride events this summertime successful Parksville, Langford, Saanich, Gabriola Island, Sidney, Tofino, Campbell River, the North Island, Qathet, Denman Island, Pender Island, and the Discovery Islands.

For deaf and hard-of-hearing members of the community, ASL mentation volition beryllium disposable astatine events successful Nanaimo, Victoria, and the Comox Valley.