After a rainy morning, bursts of rainbow colour dotted Yonge and College Sts. as Canada’s largest Pride parade kicked off Sunday afternoon.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined in as the march began at the intersection of Church and Bloor Sts. around 2 p.m. Trudeau was joined by his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and at least two of their three children. Also joining this year’s march are First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory.Trudeau last year became the first sitting prime minister to march in the parade. Road closures will be in effect as the parade winds its way through Toronto’s gay village towards Yonge-Dundas Square.In the city’s traditional gay village, by Church and Alexander Sts., the air was thick with excitement as Trudeau attended the annual morning church service. Wearing rainbow-coloured socks honouring the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, also Sunday, Trudeau made time to shake hands, take pictures and listen. At the service just before noon, Rev. Brent Hawkes, Senior Pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto opened by asking people to come together to celebrate their differences — before fat raindrops fell from the skies, sending people skittering like marbles, ending the service early.The heavy rain and thunder passed quickly, but Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Toronto, warning of more showers and thunderstorms with wind gusts up to 70 kilometres an hour and hail possible into the early evening. The forecast calls for Temperatures in the city to be moderate, with a high of 21 C. Last year’s parade was especially eventful, with Black Lives Matter (BLM) staging a sit-in that ended with Toronto Pride officials signing an agreement that included banning Toronto police from having a float this year.BLM has argued that allowing uniformed officers at the parade could discourage marginalized communities from atten ...
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