LRSD community marches for Pride

The LRSD community turned up in droves for the 2024 Winnipeg Pride parade, joining over 6,000 people participating in the parade, the event’s largest turnout to date. 

Long polyester flags draped over shoulders, and smaller paper flags stuck in the backs of hats. Painted rainbows arched over smiling cheeks, and heart-shaped paddles popped up everywhere among the crowd, with the words “Love is Love” scrawled across them. And almost visibly among the kaleidoscopic crowd, a sense of celebration and joy pervaded everything.

Staff, students, parents, family, and friends of LRSD made their message clear: everyone is welcome here. 

“It was so beautiful,” Assistant Superintendent Darcy Cormack said. “We have an incredible community that works every day to create an inclusive environment for employees and students. And at the Pride parade, you saw that in action, where staff and students walked together.”

The LRSD group was headed by a school bus draped in banners on either side, followed by Darcy and other staff leaders, students carrying Dakota Collegiate's Gender Sexuality Alliance banner, the Pep Band, and many others, including chair of the board of trustees, Sandy Nemeth. 

The Pep Band inspired more than a few parade-goers to break into dance and to start singing lyrics over the bellows of the tuba, hoots of trumpets, and whistles of flutes. Folks seemed particularly enraptured with the band’s rendition of 1980s hit Take On Me. It was a real a-ha moment. 

“It was so cool,” Dakota Collegiate grade 12 student Quinn Epp said. “It was just really amazing to see that the school I go to is willing to put all this effort into showing up to the Pride parade, having a school bus, and organizing all this. The effort really meant a lot.”