Saskatoon Pride

Saskatoon's pride roots date back to 1973, when city council rejected a request for a Pride week, prompting activists to hold an unofficial picnic at Cranberry Flats. The Diefenbaker Canada Centre considers this the first pride gathering in Saskatchewan. Global News, however, dates the Saskatoon Pride Festival to 1992. There's disagreement on when the parade started - one source says 2001, while the 2026 parade was billed as the 20th anniversary.

The festival runs for a week in late June on Treaty 6 Territory. It wraps up with a Sunday parade at noon and an outdoor festival in the city core. In 2026, the parade lined up along Spadina Crescent East at 24th Street, under the University Bridge. That year's event took place from 22 to 28 June.

About 10,000 people showed up for the parade on Sunday, 28 June, according to Global News - similar to previous years. Co-chair Blake Tait linked this year's march to Bill 137, Saskatchewan's 2023 law requiring parental consent before schools use a new name or pronoun for students under 16. He argued it forces some queer and trans youth back into the closet or into unsafe homes. The 2027 dates hadn't been announced when we checked.