Alberta's third largest pride festival paints the town of Jasper rainbow every spring
Festival-goers were surprised and delighted to see the lampposts from one end of the main drag to the other adorned with donated rainbow pride flags.
Otiena Ellwand
Joerg Michel, Executive Director, Jasper Pride Festival Society, talking about the Jasper Pride Festival in Jasper, Alberta. Video by Larry Wong
Alex Mickelson spent most of his young life in the closet. It wasn't until he moved away from his hometown of Lacombe to go to university in Edmonton —where he witnessed another student come out in residence ­— that he felt comfortable doing the same.
"I was always trying to keep up an image," the 22-year-old University of Alberta business student said Saturday at the seventh annual Jasper Pride Festival. "I would date girls, and within our friend group, there would be gay jokes and no one would call them out because no one saw it as wrong."
Now, he has returned to rural Alberta ­­— to a place significantly smaller than the city where he grew up — to tell youth his story as part of the fYrefly in Schools educational initiative to reduce discrimination against sexual and gender minorities, and to celebrate who he is without shame or stigma. The Jasper festival attracts about 1,000 people and has become the third largest pride festival in Alberta, behind Edmonton and Calgary.
"It's awesome to see that in Alberta, in a rural community, there's so much acceptance and tolerance, which I didn't see when I was younger," Mickelson said.
"Rural communities have to realize there are queer people in their town."
Three LGBTQ MLAs — Michael Connolly, Estefania Cortes-Vargas and Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda — also attended this year for the entire weekend, the first time in the event's history that provincial politicians took part.
"From a personal point of view, anytime I have the opportunity to be part of the community and reach out … it's a fantastic feeling," said Miranda, the first openly gay cabinet minister.
"I think we owe it to each other to be there for one another and to be visible. I think visibility is extremely important in our society."
For those attending the festivities for the first time, what seemed to surprise and delight them most was driving into town and seeing the lampposts from one end of the main drag to the other adorned with donated rainbow pride flags.
Amanda Axtell, 33, who attended pride for the first time with a group of 12 gay and straight friends, said she was "shocked" to see the town painted rainbow when they arrived last Thursday.
"We haven't heard one negative thing since being here," she said. "Everyone's been super accommodating. … Rural Alberta can learn everything (from this)."
Seven years in, creating an accepting and safe place for the pride festival is just part of the community and business owners' regular routine, almost like decorating for Christmas.
About 30 businesses signed up for the window-decorating contest, painting massive rainbows, hearts and cheeky slogans across the glass, such as the smile-provoking: "I love pizza. I was born this way. Our pizza loves everyone," message on the window outside Jasper Pizza Place.
Nicole Sennema, a 23-year-old clerk at Lole, a yoga apparel store with rainbow butterfly cut-outs in its window, said town was the busiest it's been all month.
The festival expanded by a day this year, and continues to bring in a steady flow of out-of-town customers, the majority from Edmonton, right when skiing season is starting to wind down.
"It's an important part of the community and tourism," Sennema said. "I've never seen spring without it, and I don't think it would be the same without it."
A mannequin displaying the colors of the Pride flag outside Wild Mountain clothing during the Jasper Pride Festival on March 18 to 20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Arianna St.-Jacques eats some Pride flag-coloured fudge to celebrate the Jasper Pride Festival held March 18 to 20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Gay pride flags adorn the main street in Jasper to celebrate the Jasper Pride Festival on March 18 to 20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Ricardo Miranda, Alberta Minister of Culture & Tourism, attends the Young Pride Gay Straight Alliance Coffee House event held at Coco's Cafe during the Jasper Pride Festival on March 18 to 20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Gay pride flags at the Jasper Pride Festival, March 18-20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Nicole Sennema, an employee at the Lole store in Jasper, decorates the business celebrate the Jasper Pride Festival held on March 18-20, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
A sign on the door of a business on the main street of Jasper welcomes participants to the Jasper Pride Festival. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Maria Lau, from Toronto, proudly carries a Canada/Pride flag at the Jasper Pride Festival ski party held at Marmot Basin Ski Resort in Jasper National Park on March 19, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Jeff Langan, from Edmonton, wears a Pride flag while taking part in the Jasper Pride Festival ski party at Marmot Basin Ski Resort in Jasper National Park on March 19, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Uwe Walter is the Co-Chair of the Jasper Pride Festival. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Performers entertain at the Jasper Pride Festival Gala Party on March 19, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Lyle Thiele, 56, prepares to ski down the hill at the Jasper Pride Festival ski party held at Marmot Basin Ski Resort in Jasper National Park on March 19, 2016. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
Pride flags line the main street in Jasper to welcome participants to the Jasper Pride Festival. Larry Wong /POSTMEDIA NETWORK
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