On Sunday, June 8, Island Health took part in the Nanaimo Pride Parade for the first time, held on the traditional and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
Island Health team members—wearing festive or professional attire and carrying “Love is Health" signs—marched alongside a float truck decorated by the Island Health 2SLGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group (ERG). The parade featured around 65 entries and drew thousands of spectators along the route.
Community Health Worker and 2SLGBTQIA+ ERG member, Robert Boyd shares the importance of Island Health's first participation in Nanaimo Pride: “In smaller cities, the impact of showing up as queer and proud can be more impactful than in bigger cities, where the visibility of our queer community has been normalized. Way to go, Island Health, for supporting the event in Nanaimo!"
The parade began on Fitzwilliam Street and culminated at Maffeo Sutton Park, crossing a freshly painted rainbow street mural at Bastion and Commercial Street. A lively festival awaited at the park, featuring entertainment, music, vendors, and information booths. Island Health hosted a tent at this portion, where Population & Public Health nurses shared information on health services, vaccinations, and sexual and reproductive health.
Pride Society President Lauren Semple opened the festival by emphasizing the importance of visibility and solidarity in the face of growing global challenges to 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and safety:
“Today is about visibility, it's about joy and love, but it's also about standing up, speaking out, and protecting one another," she said. “That is why this year our theme is 'louder and prouder,' because we will not be silenced, we will not be pushed aside. We are here and we are rising together. We are here to celebrate, to take up space, to be visible, to honour our elders, to support our youth, to remind each other that this community is resilient, proud, and unstoppable."
Island Health will also be participating in Pride celebrations in Campbell River June 28 and in Victoria July 6. More detail on participating in these events and in Pride Month can be found here.
More information:
- Check out video footage of the Nanaimo Pride Parade here (Credit: NanaimoNewsNOW).
- View 2025 Pride events photos on the Island Health Flickr Page. Share your photos with us! Send to theweekly@islandhealth.ca.
- Resources and supports are available on the Island Health 2SLGBTQIA+ Support Intranet Page