- Recipient: Capital Pride
- Region: Ottawa
- Most recent funding allocated: $430,000
"Ottawa is a city of festivals but very few have the incredible colour and vibrancy of Capital Pride. As the site of Canada's first large-scale rally for gay rights almost 50 years ago, Ottawa has an important legacy to maintain, and Capital Pride is a vital part of how we share these stories with the world."
This Pride season, Canadians are recognizing the courage and resilience of 2SLGBTQI+ communities across the country, who contribute to every aspect of life in Canada, from business and politics to arts and culture, sports, science, and much more. Southern Ontario is known globally as a welcoming place for all members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and celebrations like Pride boost the overall tourism experience for visitors and residents, while providing ripple economic benefits to local businesses in the region.
For more than 50 years, Pride season has been celebrated across the country with the first large-scale demonstrations for 2SLGBTQI+ rights taking place in Ottawa and Vancouver. Today, Pride celebrations in Ottawa are hosted by Capital Pride, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to celebrate, advocate, and connect people, respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQI+ community. These celebrations include a city-wide festival featuring a number of events for all members of the community, allies, and their families to participate in. In 2023, 10,000 people marched in the Ottawa Pride parade with thousands more lining the parade route.
To further its mission of advocating for the 2SLGBTQI+ community, Capital Pride established a Public Art Project. With a $150,000-investment from FedDev Ontario, Capital Pride was able to bring together six 2SLGBTQI+ artists to create temporary art installations, digital projections and sculptures in various locations throughout Ottawa for it's 2022 festival. The support also allowed the organization to create a video of each installation to feature the pieces virtually and increase accessibility, while also highlighting Ottawa as a 2SLGBTQI+-friendly tourism destination.
"We are proud to launch this public art project, offering a new experience for visitors during this year's Capital Pride Festival and highlighting the work of 2SLGBTQ+ artists and community members. We hope the installations will create new ways for the community to celebrate and reconnect."
One of these installations included an abstract sculpture titled Points of View (in 5 Colours) by Jennifer LeFort. The structure is composed of unique pieces that are united by a common colour. The viewer is invited to look through the coloured circles and into the mirrored shapes of the artwork to discover a new experience from every angle. The structure is a reflection of how perception can be altered by simply changing points of view. The art installations were estimated to be seen by more than 1,000 visitors a day and served to further position Ottawa as a destination for 2SLGBTQI+ tourism.
The success of the summer Pride celebrations allowed Capital Pride to extend its festivities into the winter months by creating new partnerships with Winterlude and the National Capital Commission. In 2023, FedDev Ontario provided an additional $80,000-investment to help Capital Pride establish new programming including outdoor drag shows, rainbow ice mosaics, drag story time, and the first-ever ice-parade featuring local drag performers on skates and Capital Pride's 30-foot Progress Pride Flag carried by players from Ottawa Pride Hockey.
"Winterlude is a huge event. It's been running for decades and it's renowned in Ottawa. So, having Winter Pride run alongside it really shows that Ottawa cares about the queer community."
With 600,000 visitors taking part in Winterlude every year, the presence of Capital Pride is creating a snowball effect of acceptance and representation across the city. The inclusion of Pride in both summer and winter months positions Canada as a globally welcoming place for all members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and boost the overall tourism experience for visitors and residents alike. FedDev Ontario is proud to invest in organizations like Capital Pride that are working year-round to make Canada a welcoming and safe destination of choice.