Halifax Pride preparing new route for this year’s festival

Halifax Pride is preparing for festivities later this summer after last year’s event was cancelled.

On Monday, the organization announced its new parade route starting on Ahern Avenue, to Spring Garden Road and South Park Street.

The parade route offers accessible viewing areas, as well as, described viewing areas for the elderly and low sensory viewing areas.

In an interview with CityNews Halifax, Fiona Kerr, operating manager of Halifax Pride, said the new route and viewing arrangements have been a long time coming.

“We spent some time working with the municipality and the city to find this new route, I think it will be great,” she said. “It’s going to allow people lots of viewing space on Citadel Hill so people can sit pretty far up on the hill and get a pretty good view of the parade, they don’t have to be down on the streets in the crowd if that’s not their thing.”

Several issues led to last year’s festival being cancelled but most importantly communication with the public was a key issue. Kerr said that this year they have been listening to the people.

“Obviously people were very upset last year after the parade didn’t happen, both people who would’ve been watching it and people who were going to take part,” she said. “People have been super helpful and cooperative, really supportive. No one is really holding it against us and people seem to be excited that it’s going to happen.”

The parade is scheduled for July 20 and for more information on the festival can be found on Halifax Pride’s website.