Canada News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will march in today’s Pride Parade in Toronto
TORONTO—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be among the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to crowd the streets of downtown Toronto today for the annual Pride Parade.
It will be the first time a sitting prime minister has marched in the parade.
Other notable politicians who will march include Ontario’s premier, Kathleen Wynne, and the mayor of Toronto, John Tory.
The parade wraps up a month of Pride festivities in Toronto, which saw entertainment heavyweights like George Takei and Lindsay Lohan participate.
But the month has also been shadowed with grief. In early June, 49 people—who were predominantly LGBTQ people of colour—were killed in a mass-shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
The month’s celebrations were dedicated to the victims of the massacre, and there will be a moment of silence during today’s parade to remember them.
The shooting also means security will be higher than normal at this year’s parade.
Shortly after the attack, Pride organizers met representatives of the RCMP, city police and the prime minister’s office to discuss security precautions.
The parade is slated to begin at 2 p.m. today.