Join Chinook Council at the Calgary Pride Parade!!!

Date: Sunday, September 1st

Time: Gathering time approximately 10am (to be confirmed). Parade begins at 11am and is expected to end by 1pm.

Who: All Active and registered members! Scouters can register themselves, other Scouting members of their families, and/or their sections. Sections that attend must do so with enough Scouters for ratio, and make their own arrangements for pick up and drop off of youth. 

Family and friends who are not registered members are encouraged to enjoy the parade as audience members, and meet up with their Scouts after the parade. 

Registration: We are limited in the number of walkers we can have with us in the parade, which is why we require advance registration. In order to ensure we have as big of a turnout as possible and include as many eager participants as we can, please only register the number of people in your party who are committed to attending. A waitlist will be created if demand exceeds our number of spaces.

Cost: As we are limited in how many people can join us, registration will cost $5 to hold your spot. In exchange, all participants will be provided with a rainbow necker and a Pride crest at the parade (approximate value $25).

Deadlines and Refunds: Registration deadline August 23rd. Refunds will not be provided after August 19th (by email only, convenience fees charged by DoubleKnot will be deducted from refunded amounts). However, if you are not able to attend after registering, even if the refund deadline has passed, we would still appreciate it if you could let us know so we could offer your spot to someone on the waitlist.  

What to Wear: Scouting Uniforms Please!! All participants will wear Pride neckers (to be provided). Please feel free to wear any additional (family friendly!) Pride or rainbow accessories. Wear good walking shoes.

What to Bring: Everyone should have full water bottles, sunscreen, and please check the forecast. If you have them, please bring your Parade Flags. We would love both Scouting Flags (all) and Pride flags. If you are artistically inclined, you are welcome to make and bring signs/posters containing positive and inclusive messages about Scouting such as "Scouting is for Everyone" or "Everyone is welcome around our campfire." (Suggestions only  - please feel free to use your imagination.) The Pride Committee discourages the use of non-biodegradable balloons, glitter, and streamers for sustainability purposes. 

The Council Leadership Team is sourcing swag items to hand out to the crowd, as well as brochures/post cards recruiting youth and volunteers. 

Parade Information: The route is 1.45km long. Mobility devices are welcome. The parade starts at 4 Street SE by Studio Bell and runs along 9 Ave S to 5 Street SW. If you would like to be involved in Pride but are unable to walk the parade, please reach out to Angela as we may have other ways for you to be included.

Staging is at Confluence Park (formerly Fort Calgary), the CP Rail lot across 9 Avenue SE from Confluence Park, and CPA Lot 55 (just behind Studio Bell). We will share more information about our specific parade position, start time, and staging area once that has been confirmed with us by Calgary Pride. 

Getting There: We do not have details regarding the availability of parking in the area during the morning of the parade, but it is probably safe to assume it will be quite busy. Arranging car pools, having someone drop you off, or taking public transit is encouraged.

It is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED that sections attending together meet at another location first, such as a C-Train station, and travel to the staging area together. The staging area will be EXTREMELY BUSY and it might be quite difficult to try to meet families looking to drop off their youth. 

After the Parade: You are welcome to continue on to the Pride Festival at Prince's Island Park, or continue your day as you wish. After the parade, whether you enjoy the Festival or make your way on to your next activity, please remember that you are representing Scouts Canada and Chinook Council while you continue to wear your uniform. This is a tremendous public relations opportunity for us, and we want to show Calgary what fantastic people our members are.

Adults Attending the Festival: any adults who are attending the Festival after the Parade and who would like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage (after you have returned all of the youth in your care to their families, of course), we kindly ask that you please change out of your uniform and put it away in your daypack or vehicle first. Please partake responsibly, and have a plan for a safe way home. Remember that the Code of Conduct still applies, and the general public may view you as a representative of Chinook Council and Scouts Canada even after the Parade concludes. 

More details will be provided once we receive additional information from the Calgary Pride Committee. In the meantime, we are SO EXCITED to have been accepted into the Parade and want to ensure we have a GREAT TIME and show Calgary what Scouting is all about. We hope you are able to join us!

We wish to sincerely thank the Chinook Scout Foundation for their support of this event.

If you have any questions or need more information, please reach out to angela.macleod@scouts.ca