Ottawa-Carleton school board reverses decision, will march in Capital Pride parade Aug. 30

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has reversed its decision and will participate in this year's Capital Pride parade in an official capacity on August 30.

Capital Pride executive director Callie Metler confirmed that OCDSB CEO Stacey Kay told her the board will register to march. "I haven't received a registration yet, but I did talk to Stacey over the phone this morning and she confirmed that it was forthcoming," Metler said.

The reversal comes after the board was criticized by Capital Pride, elected trustees and members of the LGBTQ+ community. In early July, the OCDSB initially said it would not participate because the parade falls outside the school year. The board later said the decision was driven by student safety concerns following disruptions at recent Capital Pride parades, and that senior staff had recommended against student participation because they could not guarantee students' safety.

Metler said the messaging in the media clearly resonated with the board. "I was pretty vocal about the disappointment that I felt," she said. "I'm glad that the messaging in the media and the news came through loud and clear, and that we were able to finally connect this morning, have a good conversation and be able to move forward in a positive way."

Elected trustee Donna Blackburn, who had urged the board to reverse course, welcomed the change. "I think it just shows that lots of times when people make the effort, democracy works," she said.

The OCDSB has not yet publicly detailed what its participation will look like this year. Metler said she expects those details once the board's registration is formally submitted in the coming days.