Alberta Canada
Alberta, home to over four million Canadians, is blessed with the rugged mountain peaks of the Canadian Rockies, sparkling modern cities with state-of-the-art transportation and communication systems, as well as fully developed tourism infrastructures, which are convenient starting points for amazing natural, sporting and cultural adventures.
The 2SLGBTQI+ community is open and visible in Alberta, with celebrations in major centres like Calgary and Edmonton, but also in smaller urban areas and mountain resorts, such Jasper, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Banff, all of which have installed rainbow crosswalks in recent years in celebration of Pride.
Edmonton
Alberta’s capital city, Edmonton, is the northernmost major North American city, with a metro population of over 1.4 million residents. Known unofficially as Festival City, Edmonton boasts over 100 annual festivals, including Pride.
The Edmonton Pride Festival is a colourful part of the city’s annual festival calendar, and proudly celebrates a ten day schedule of events. Contact them for opportunities to engage with the community as a vendor at the festival, to nominate someone for an Edmonton Pride Award, or to join a pride planning committee. Visitors can check out their web site, and social media outlets to get all the details to help plan your visit for 2025.
The Pride Centre of Edmonton is a registered charitable organization that also provides a variety of events, programs and services for 2SLGBTQI+ people, their allies, and the broader community in the Greater Edmonton area.
One unique addition to any Edmonton itinerary is a visit to the 2SLGBTQI+ friendly West Edmonton Mall. When first built, it was the largest mall in the world. An extensive list of attractions includes Galaxyland, the world’s largest indoor amusement park, World Waterpark, with the world’s largest indoor wave pool, Santa Maria, an exact replica of Christopher Columbus’ flagship, theatres, restaurants, nightlife, and shopping galore!
Resources:
exploreedmonton.com
edmontonpridefest.com
pridecentreofedmonton.ca
www.travelalberta.com
www.visitcalgary.com
www.calgarypride.ca
www.calgaryqueerartssociety.com
