What a difference 25 years makes. About 200 people showed up for Victoria’s first Pride Parade in 1994, when marchers walked along the sidewalk from Victoria City Hall to the legislature.
Each year, the Pride parade and festival has grown, with more participants, supporters and businesses, and more backing from the wider community. Victoria council unanimously proclaimed Pride Week for the first time in 2000.
This year, between 30,000 and 40,000 people are expected to line the streets to watch the parade, which begins today at 11 a.m. Participants will make their way from Pandora Avenue along Government Street to MacDonald Park (at Oswego and Simcoe streets) for the Pride Festival.
