As Montreal Pride wraps up, board VP says much progress made on inclusiveness
The annual Montreal Pride festivities may be coming to an end on Sunday, but advocacy for all the groups that have members in the city's LGBTQIA2+ community must continue year-round, the event's board of directors vice-president said on Saturday.
Speaking to CTV News, Moe Hamandi acknowledged that Pride had issues with representation in the past, particuarly during the 2017 parade.
“We learned from the past. We are a new board with a new vision since 2020,” he said. “It's very important for me... to listen to all of my community before anything else. And I think the mission of each person on the board, from all communities and all races, all cultures, all origins, all sexual orientations, that he, she, they are listening to them.”
Hamandi said one priority for this year's Pride was to ensure Indigenous people were given proper representation.
“It's very important to us to make sure we are giving them a voice, especially two-spirit people in our community,” he said.
This year, the annual Pride Parade will not be held due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a march will begin at 1 p.m. at Jeanne-Mance Park. A moment of silence will be held at 2:30 p.m. to honour the victims of HIV/AIDS and homophobia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates | Daniel Jolivet insists he's not a murderer and says he has proof
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars. W5's documentary 'Buried Evidence' airs Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.

China balloon: Many questions about suspected spy in the sky
The massive white orb drifting across U.S. airspace has triggered a diplomatic maelstrom and is blowing up on social media. A look at what's known about the balloon crossing the U.S. and what isn't.
One in four Canadian cancer patients still experiencing cancelled appointments: survey
In the field of cancer treatment, nothing is more important than diagnosing and treating the problem as quickly as possible — but according to new survey data, about one in four Canadian cancer patients report that they are still experiencing cancelled or postponed appointments.
Dozens of soldiers freed in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap
Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war have returned home following a prisoner swap, officials on both sides said Saturday.
Oldest preserved vertebrate brain found in 319-million-year-old fish fossil
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Canada tracked suspected Chinese spy balloon over Canadian airspace since last weekend: sources
The suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was found floating over sensitive military sites in the western United States had been tracked by Canada's government since last weekend as it passed through Canadian airspace, sources tell CTV News.
Former NHL-er Ted Nolan among Indigenous players honoured in new hockey card series
It took 40 years, but former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan is now one of eight Indigenous ex-NHL-ers being honoured hockey trading cards as a part of Upper Deck's First Peoples Rookie Card series.
Russia's Medvedev says more U.S. weapons supplies mean 'all of Ukraine ... will burn'
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said the supply of more advanced U.S. weaponry to Ukraine will only trigger more retaliatory strikes from Russia, up to the extent of Russia's nuclear doctrine.
Indian police nab over 2,000 men for illegal child marriages
Indian police have arrested more than 2,000 men in a crackdown on illegal child marriages involving girls under the age of 18 in a northeastern state, officials said Saturday.