Saskatoon Pride parade returns with thousands lining downtown streets

Pride Parade takes over downtown WATCH: It was an afternoon full of rainbows, glitter and smiles with people showing up for the Pride Parade. Keenan Sorokan reports.

The usual sights of rainbow flags and ear-to-ear smiles returned for the Saskatoon Pride parade on Saturday.

Thousands of people lined streets along the parade route downtown for the first in-person parade in three years because of the pandemic.

Tucked away in some shade near the start of the route on a sweltering day in Saskatoon, Helen Savisky was overjoyed to see so many people return as if the parade never missed a year.

“Sorry, I kind of get emotional when I think about because it has been a while,” Savisky said as her voice shook.

Savisky never attended a Pride parade until her son came out as gay years ago. She wanted to be supportive for her son so she went to the parade during a downpour that year and stood next to a young girl who was nervous about coming out to her parents.

“She was so afraid to tell her parents that she was gay, and then I told her my story, and I think she felt better,” Savisky said.

To Savisky, being able to reassure the young girl is what makes the parade so special.

Saskatoon Pride co-chair Kasey Atcheynum said the hot weather, the thousands of people and more than 150 floats made this parade feel more real than ever.

“It feels great to be here,” she said. “Thrive with Pride this year. We missed everybody and I’m so happy to see our 2SLGBTQ+IA community here today and it feels wonderful. I feel incredibly blessed to experience this after so long,” she said.

Saturday’s Parade was the beginning of the final day of Pride celebrations wrapping up in the evening. The Pride festival taking over River Landing on Saturday featured a concert stage, a market and food trucks.

Saskatoon Pride board member Raven Sinclair said Pride is all about building community.

“Just remembering that and celebrating all of our diversity as human beings and having a good time,” she said.