Media Advisory July 22 - 30th Halifax Pride Parade

July 21, 2017 – Today, Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 1 p.m. the Halifax Pride Parade marches from Upper Water Street to Garrison Grounds (click here for map). The parade will feature community groups, businesses, political parties, unions, and sponsors.

In attendance is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Media are asked to review and abide by the following stipulations for coverage of the Prime Minister:

  • Gather at the corner of Barrington and Cogswell no later than 12:45 p.m. From there, media will be escorted to where the Parade will start to capture the PM walking
  • The Prime Minister’s march will begin at approximately 1:15 p.m.
  • Maintain a distance of 30 - 40 feet ahead of the Prime Minister at all times, unless invited close
  • Allow the parade, participants, and the Prime Minister to proceed efficiently and avoid actions that will cause delays or disturbances
  • All media requests related to the Prime Minister should be directed to cameron.ahmad@pmo-cpm.gc.ca

Media covering the parade in other areas are asked to remain off the route at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation. Happy Pride!

Media Contacts:
Ellen Davis
Media Liaison
Halifax Pride
media@halifaxpride.com

ASL VLOG Dialogue for Halifax Pride 2017

ASL VLOG Dialogue performed by Jim McDermott and Jennifer Gibson for Halifax Pride 2017

Dialogue

Jim – Hey Jennifer, there are lots of city events happening this summer here in Halifax.

Jen – Yes, I heard about that.

Jim – Let’s check with Halifax’s Events book, oh Halifax will have Halifax Pride happening soon.

Jen – Awesome!

Jim – next one, there is International Buskers Festival

Jen – Oh yes, that is awesome and fun to watch performers

Jim – Love to watch those Buskers performing outdoors. Another event happening is the Tall Ships 2017 with many tall ships from around the world coming to Halifax Waterfront!

Jen – Oh yes, it will be quite beautiful to look at Tall Ships!

Jim – Going to be quite amazing and busy for Halifax this summer!  Oh, the filming is on…

Jim – Hello! I’m Jim!

Jen – Hello! I’m Jennifer

Jim – Why we are having this VLOG, we want to inform you all, there are many exciting events happening here in Halifax. What will I do now in this video, I will ask some questions to Jennifer and she will explain her answers. Alright? Jennifer, can you tell everyone what is happening in Halifax coming up real soon?

Jen – Oh yes, this coming Thursday, will have an exciting Halifax Pride, which will start on July 20th till July 30th.

Jim – Really on July 20th to 30th coming up? Wow, trying to figure out number of days, that’s 11 days longer for Halifax Pride! This Halifax Pride event prepared for who?

Jen – Halifax Pride is for anyone, everyone is welcome! It does not if you are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, straight, friends, families, supporters and allies, everyone is welcome to join celebration!

Jim – This Halifax Pride tends to be annual event, is that correct?

Jen – Yes, that’s correct! This year will be the 30th Annual Halifax Pride!

Jim – Oh really? When was the first Pride happened in Halifax?

Jen – Oh that it started way back 1988!

Jim - Oh that is cool! What is so different about this year’s Halifax Pride with some extra days, 11 days altogether. Will you explain something that will be different for this year’s Pride?

Jen – Oh yes, this year will be quite different. In the past we usually have a big event on the first Sunday of the Pride Week with a softball game, then on the following Saturday we had Halifax Pride Parade. However, for this year, it will be quite opposite.  There will be a Halifax Pride Parade on the first Saturday (22nd) on first week and the following week on Sunday the 30th, there will be an exciting softball game.

Jim – Oh that is really cool! Hope you don’t mind to explain to us on what kind of activities and special events happening during this year’s Pride Week?

 Jen – Oh sure, there will be many different kinds of events happening everyday such as: Rainbow Flag Raising at (Grand Parade Square); Cosmic (Drag Queen) Bingo; Candlelight Vigil (Evening Prayer); Halifax Pride Parade Downtown. Also there will be different evening speakers happening every day that will be held at different places such as at City Hall, (new) Halifax Library and to Maritime Museum of Atlantic. Also have “Read Out Loud”, which is like a story hour book presentation with person narrate relating to famous gay/lesbian author, or even gay poetry. In addition, immediately after the Pride Parade, many people will gather to (Garrison Grounds) Mainstage Showcase with music, dance performances and drag performers, and speeches, etc.

Jim – Plus you missed something else?

Jen – Oh that’s right, I forgot something, will have a Beer (Beverage) Tent!

Jim – Oh would be great, to have some cold beers on a nice hot sunny day!

Jen – Yes, that is right, there will be booths with tents, setting up on the grounds for anyone who want to sell things, etc.

Jim – Wow! So many different events happening this year! Will Halifax Pride provide sign language interpreters to all events?

Jen – No, not to all events, but mostly lectures plus performances on Mainstage, plus story hour (Read Out Loud).

Jim – Oh I see, how do people find out about different kinds of events that will happen during the Pride Week?

Jen – Oh the Halifax Pride do have their own website…ah, can see the website link.

Jim – And something else…                                              

Jen – You can check Facebook that you can enter and type Halifax Pride on top of the bar space “Facebook Search”. You will see the webpage.

Jim – Either the website or Facebook page you will see webpage with top red bar. See RED HEADBAR, click 2017 FESTIVAL. Then you see a menu with SCHEDULE, click. You will see different color bars, click. Check to see if have ASL Interpreters. UNDERSTAND not all different events have interpreters.

Jen – Also something else we have…

Jim – Oh yes, … want to show Halifax Pride Program Book.

Jen – In that program book, there is a small orange symbol with a white hand-sign INTERPRETER. If see this orange symbol, it means this event will be interpreted in ASL.

Jim – You can find program books everywhere such as Public Libraries, malls, bus and ferry terminals and hope to get a copy and look through this program book. Find out which events happening during two weeks of Halifax Pride from July 20th till 30th.  Wow many different events happening. Jennifer, won’t you mind explain on what will be going on this upcoming Saturday, July 22nd with Halifax Pride Parade?

Jen – Sure Pride Parade starts at 1pm over at Downtown - DND Dockyard, start on a route on Water Street then on to Barrington Street, then turn right on Spring Garden Road, then another right turn South Park Street and straight ahead finish at Garrisons Grounds on Bell Road. There you will see Mainstage with many people gathering there.

Jim – Okay, how to inform Deaf friends, or hearing allies If want to meet together in a location, and to watch the parade together? What location do you suggest to meet there?

Jen – Oh that’s right, it would be best place to meet is at new Halifax Library, know new building (Arm out on Arm), that area and see a nice tall tree nearby with a nice view from that area.

Jim – Don’t forget to meet that library area! That would be to meet together and watch the parade!    Jennifer… On that last day of Halifax Pride on Sunday, July 30th, what are the plan happening on that last day?

Jen – Right, on Sunday, July 30th there will be a softball game with two teams with Dykes playing against Divas Drag Queen teams. Should be a fun game and a biggest exciting event too! The game will be located at the Halifax Commons, specifically the area is called at the Canadian Games Baseball Diamond. When you arrive, check the bleachers of seats that will be reserved for Deaf people with an interpreter standing at baseball grounds.

Jim – Why do we need to watch an interpreter at the game?

Jen – There will have a Drag Queen MC on the grounds.

Jim – Oh the Drag Queen MC will make jokes or making fun to the players at the game. That audience laugh at him. Oh, that’s cool for people to attend the softball game!   

How will Deaf people find out if there are some changes or cancellations of an event or a new event during the Pride Week?

Jen – Oh that is correct, people can check Halifax Pride website or from Facebook also can find out from Twitter too, just in case events changes. Also check any changes for having interpreters too.  

Jim – Wow, it will be going to the Biggest Event happening here in Halifax with 30th Annual Halifax Pride.

Jen – That is really exciting time for Halifax Pride!

Jim – I want thank to you Jennifer, for your explanations about this year 30th Annual Halifax Pride during the week of July 20th – 30th. Thanks to you again!

Jim & Jen – So… COME-ON-DOWN to HALIFAX PRIDE, SEE YOU THERE! BYE!