The Village of Sundridge will fly the Pride flag in June following a unanimous decision by the town council to display the flag throughout Pride Month.
Councillor Fraser Williamson, who is also a United Church minister, introduced the resolution and said he was “overjoyed” by the council's full support.
Williamson says the catalyst for his resolution was an incident that occurred in Sundridge seven years ago which he only became aware of during 2023.
Williamson says while attending a United Church conference last year, two ministers who visited the village seven years ago told him of a negative experience in the small community.
“They told me they liked Sundridge except for when they went grocery shopping and someone called them 'fags'” Williamson said.
He added the two ministers are male homosexuals.
Williamson said there is a 2SLGBTQ+ community in the Almaguin Highlands and that includes children.
“Some of these children have not come out yet,” Willliamson said. “As they grow older, I believe flying the flag will help them feel welcome and acknowledged in their own community.”
The municipality is now in the process of buying a Pride flag which will be raised June 1 with Williamson reading the proclamation.
“I know there will be some opposition, and some will argue 2SLGBTQ+ people are a minority,” Williamson said. “But in response, I will say this is what we decided as a council. The groups that don't want to see the Pride flag go up are also small, but they get the most attention.”
Williamson says he doesn't expect Sundridge to experience the same problem that Powassan ran into during 2023 when it raised the Pride flag for the first time at 250 Clark.
The municipal building only has one flag pole and can only support one flag at a time.
Powassan council faced a public outcry when the Canadian flag was lowered and replaced with the Pride flag.
See: Several Powassan residents object to town flying Pride flag
The objections were strong enough that it resulted in Powassan creating a policy that included buying a second flag pole and how flags would be displayed.
Williamson said Sundridge has multiple flag poles, so the Pride flag will fly on its own mast and won't replace the Canadian flag.
In part, the Sundridge council resolution calls for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to be accepted for who they are, and among its goals are to overcome prejudice, to have laws and policies that are inclusive, and to celebrate diversity.
Williamson will invite area residents of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to the flag-raising ceremony and adds the public is also welcome.
Sundridge council passed its resolution on April 10, and since then Williamson has been promoting the outcome on Facebook, adding he's getting quite a few 'likes' from people supporting council's decision.
Williamson is encouraging more Almaguin communities and communities in the North Bay region to consider raising Pride flags in the future.
He is also hopeful that nearby East Ferris reconsiders its decision not to fly the Pride flag.
Earlier this month East Ferris town council rejected a motion to fly the Pride flag in a 3-2 vote.
“I hope East Ferris (council) changes its mind and revisits the issue,” Wiliamson said, adding this is an issue of tolerance.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with The North Bay Nugget. LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
