Wishing everyone a happy Pride weekend! I look forward to joining in on the celebrations with the Pride Parade on Sunday afternoon in my capacity as Chair of Ottawa Community Housing. Pride week is about acceptance, equality, and celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people. It is a time to raise awareness and acknowledge the issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community and what we can do to educate and connect while respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Some traffic impacts in the downtown core this weekend
Ottawa residents and road users can expect some traffic impacts in the downtown core this weekend as the Capital Pride Festival Weekend gets into full swing. Festival Weekend includes the annual Pride Parade, mainstage programming and a community street festival.
The annual Capital Pride Parade includes over 175 marching contingents and floats made up of local community groups, government departments, sports teams, and businesses. The Parade is an opportunity for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and broader community to celebrate, educate and advocate. It attracts tens of thousands of spectators and over 5,000 participants.
The following streets will be closed from 3 pm on Friday, August 25 to midnight on Monday, August 28 for the celebration of Festival Weekend:
- Bank Street, between Slater and Florence streets
- Somerset Street, between O’Connor and Bank streets
- Gloucester Street, between Bank and O’Connor streets. Gloucester street will be converted to two-way traffic to accommodate local access.
The following streets will be closed at the listed times on Sunday, 27 August for the staging of the annual Capital Pride Parade:
- From 6 am to 4 pm: Laurier Avenue West, between Nicholas and Elgin streets
- From noon to 4 pm:
- Elgin Street, between Slater and McLeod streets
- Gladstone Avenue, between Cartier and Kent streets
- Kent Street, between McLeod and Albert streets
- From 3 to 5 pm: Laurier Avenue West between Lyon Street South and O’Connor Street
For more info on Capital Pride, visit capitalpride.ca.
OC Transpo
OC Transpo will maintain regular transit service during the Capital Pride Festival, with the following detours in place:
- Routes 6, 7 and 11 will be detoured between Slater Street and Gladstone Avenue from 3 pm on Friday, August 25 until 12 am on Monday, August 28.
- Routes 6 and 7: Northbound trips will use Metcalfe Street and southbound trips will use O’Connor Street.
- Route 11: Eastbound trips will use Kent Street and westbound trips will use Lyon Street.
- Routes 5, 6, 7, 11 and 14 will be detoured for the duration of the Capital Pride Parade from 12pm to 4pm on Sunday, August 27. All trips affected by road closures during the parade will be detoured via adjacent streets.
For the most up to date information on planned detours and temporary stop information, visit octranspo.com/alerts. You can also connect with OC Transpo through the Transit app, by calling 613-560-5000 or by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
