Charlie Clark will be the first mayor in Saskatoon’s history to be the grand marshal of the annual pride parade.
Clark made the announcement during Monday’s meeting of the city’s governance and priorities committee, saying the pride festival’s organizers asked him to take on the role.
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“This is a great chance to tell a message to the world that that’s who we are in Saskatoon,” Clark said.
“That we’re a place where we want everybody to feel welcome and to feel a sense of belonging here.”
Clark was among the speakers at the pride flag raising outside city hall last year.
Former Saskatoon mayor Don Atchison drew criticism during his tenure for not attending the parade — the main event during the Saskatoon Pride Festival.
In 2015, a former chair of the Saskatoon Diversity Network posted a letter on Facebook criticizing Atchison’s “unacceptable” lack of support for the festival.
The mayor cited a scheduling conflict with a celebration for the Filipino-Canadian community.
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Last year, Atchison said he was unable to attend due to his father’s 90th birthday.
The 25th edition of the Saskatoon Pride Festival runs from June 11 to 25.