08/20/2026
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate New West PRIDE with us this past Saturday.
This was our biggest PRIDE yet, but one of the greatest compliments we received had nothing to do with the size of the crowd.
Someone told us, “This PRIDE feels like family PRIDE.”
That is exactly what we strive for.
Those words filled our cup because, at the heart of everything we do, New West PRIDE is about creating space to be together. A place where you can find your people, celebrate who you are, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and experience the kind of q***r joy that comes from simply being in community with one another.
To the thousands of you who showed up, danced, cheered, shopped, performed, volunteered, brought your kids, brought your chosen family, brought your pets, and filled Columbia Street with so much love: thank you.
We were honoured to welcome you into our family for the afternoon.
PRIDE takes an incredible amount of work to build, but seeing all of you fill the space we created reminds us exactly why we do it.
Thank you for making New West PRIDE feel like home.
We also want to take a moment to acknowledge what is happening in Edmonton right now, and to provide some context for those who may not understand why New West PRIDE has asked the City and New Westminster Police Department to work with us on ways to uphold public safety without requiring a visible police presence within our festival.
Our advocacy on this issue has not happened in isolation. We are listening, and our actions are rooted in what we continue to hear from our community.
We also want to give credit where it is due. This year, NWPD officers remained outside of the crowds and were respectful and discreet in their presence. We appreciate that effort and believe it demonstrates that conversations about how public safety is delivered at PRIDE can lead to meaningful changes.
At the same time, what is unfolding in Edmonton should serve as a cautionary example of just how fragile and deeply felt this issue remains within q***r and trans communities.
In our statement to police earlier this year, we spoke about the work New West PRIDE has been doing has been doing to rebuild trust and confidence with members of our community. Part of earning that confidence means taking people seriously when they tell us they do not feel safe around police. We cannot ask people to trust us while dismissing the experiences they are trusting us enough to share.
If you had a wonderful time with us last Saturday, if you support PRIDE, and if you believe in what this celebration represents, then we ask you to listen when members of our community tell us what they need to feel safe and welcome in the spaces we create.
Public safety matters. So does understanding that safety does not feel the same to everyone.
As we debrief the successes and challenges of this year’s festival over the months ahead, we remain hopeful that the City and NWPD will continue these conversations with us in good faith. Our goal has never been to avoid conversations about safety. It is to have more meaningful ones, and to work together toward solutions that protect the public while respecting the people PRIDE exists to serve.
