West Island Pride returns for third year as organizers navigate tougher climate

West Island Pride is returning to Pointe-Claire for a third year, but organizers say keeping the event going is becoming more difficult as corporate support for Pride events declines.

The free, day-long celebration at Edgewater Park brought together local organizations, vendors and performers, with activities designed for families.

“We do still exist. We are still present in the community and we deserve to be acknowledged and we deserve to take up that space and have that voice,” said David Hawkins, executive director of the West Island LGBTQ2+ Centre.

Hawkins said organizers had a harder time securing sponsorships this year, including from companies that had supported the event in the past.

“We encountered a lot more no’s than yes’s, and we encountered partners who had worked with us in the past and had sponsored this event previously which did not manifest this year,” said Hawkins. “We did a lot more leg work to ask for those sponsorships and we’re operating at a deficit.”

The event began with a land acknowledgement from Mohawk knowledge sharer Kahsennenhawe Sky Deer and included performances and activities for families.

For Nora Beettam-Johnson, having a Pride celebration in the West Island offers a chance to find community close to home.

“It’s really nice to have a nice local event where you can bring your friends and check out some stalls,” said Beettam-Johnson.

Beettam-Johnson said she found community through the West Island LGBTQ2+ Centre after transitioning and wants other families to find that same support.

“I would urge parents of queer people to come here, families… just because there’s a lot of fear from parents. They are supportive, but there’s usually that hold back because there’s this feeling that your kid is going to be lonely and it’s very scary in this world right now. I think it’s a really really good idea for families to come here and find that community for the kids themselves,” said Beettam-Johnson.

There was also a focus on younger attendees, with drag queen Bambi Dextrous leading a story time featuring books about acceptance, family and self-expression.

“It’s a great occasion to get together as a community with the kids and you know just have a moment to read, reading is fundamental as we’re told growing up and yeah, just share some stories about accepting yourself and dressing up even and just anything that the imagination leads you to,” said Dextrous.

But Pride in Pointe-Claire also has a history that stretches back well before the current event.

Theo Wouters, 84, has attended West Island Pride since it began in 2024. In 2001, he and his late partner, Roger Thibault, were at the centre of a major anti-homophobia demonstration in Pointe-Claire.

“We had a march in Point Claire in 2001 against homophobia. About 2,000 or 3,000 people marched on our street here denouncing homophobia,” said Wouters.

A year later, Wouters and Thibault became the first same-sex couple to formalize their union under Quebec’s Civil Union law in July 2002.

“There’s many gay people in the community, even here in Point Claire. And everybody has the right to have a happy life, no?” said Wouters.