THUNDER BAY – An injection of federal funding is set to give regional pride initiatives a big boost. Minister Patty Hajdu announced $123,000 in FedNor funding for the Thunder Pride Association Tuesday.
The funds will support the group’s annual pride celebrations in Thunder Bay this summer and the Fierte Canada Pride national conference being held in Thunder Bay in January 2021. It will also allow the group to offer support to smaller pride groups throughout northwestern Ontario.
“This really changes the organization dramatically,” said Thunder Pride chair Jason Veltri.
Part of the funding will be used to hire a staff member to help coordinate that work. The organization hopes to make that position permanent by finding additional funding in the future, Veltri said.
Supporting regional pride efforts is particularly important, says Veltri, including helping people establish events and organizations where they do not yet exist. He says the funding should help boost those efforts.
“I hope it gives them hope they can start an organization within their community, and Thunder Pride will be there with them,” Veltri said. “You know, from here to Greenstone there’s nothing, from here to Manitouwadge there’s nothing. It’s really important that we grow that capacity in northwestern Ontario.”
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski was also present for the announcement at The Chanterelle. He said Thunder Pride and the national conference are examples of how the region can look at diversifying its tourism industry.
“Traditionally, we attract hunters and fishermen, especially from the Midwest United States, which is great, but we want to attract other kinds of tourists as well,” he said. “This will bring in people who might be more interested in enjoying some of the other things we have to offer.”
Initiatives like Thunder Pride have helped transform society, Hajdu reflected, making places like Thunder Bay safer and more welcoming.
“I was a teenager in the early ‘80s and knew people from the LGBTQ community [who] oftentimes had to hide their identity or hide their circumstances – not just because of the intense bullying they would experience, but personal safety as well,” she said.
“So when I think about how far we’ve come in 2020, where we’re about to host not just a larger-than-ever pride celebration, but also a national conference for pride organizations across the country – we’ve come a long way.”
