Going into this year’s Calgary Pride Festival there were some uncertainties surrounding the rainbow crosswalk and police representation in the parade, but at least one of those things is for certain now; there will be a pride-coloured sidewalk for Calgarians to enjoy this year.

Calgary Pride Director of Government Affairs Craig Sklenar confirmed to GayCalgary that the rainbow crosswalk will be installed on September 1^st. Initially there were concerns that the popular and bright addition to the street, in front of City Hall, wouldn’t be possible due to its $4,000 price tag; the city couldn’t pay for it. That left Pride Calgary turning to Calgarians for help – and they didn’t disappoint.

"We are thrilled at the community support of the rainbow crosswalk this year," he says. "In less than 24 hours we hit our fundraising goal and kept going. All of the additional proceeds collected will go toward a future permanent installation in our city that represents pride, and we look forward to beginning those consultations with the community in September."

While Calgarians celebrate the news of the beloved rainbow pride crosswalk being welcomed back this year, the inclusion of police in the pride parade is still up in the air due to some controversies surrounding Black Lives Matter.

Calgary Police Service has always participated in years past, but this year is in question, following the interruption that occurred amid the Toronto Pride parade by the local Black Lives Matter chapter who demanded that the organization ban police presence due to the high tensions in the U.S. regarding race and police brutality.

Sklenar won’t comment to GayCalgary at this time about the sensitive topic, instead telling us that they are still consulting on the matter within the community and its allies.

Of course that’s not the only sombre aspect affecting Pride. This is the first Calgary Pride celebration since 49 people were killed and 53 injured in the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, not to mention the gender-neutral bathroom debate that has taken North America by storm.

But Sklenar says these types of challenges facing the gay community is exactly why pride celebrations need to continue, in hopes of keeping the LGBTQ voice heard – and heard loud.

"While major strides in equality have occurred at almost a rapid pace in the last decade, topics like gender neutral washrooms, and tragic events like the targeting of our spaces in Orlando, highlight that much more work is to be done," he says.

"Our organization will continue to ensure our community has a safe space to celebrate, but also communicate our desires for equality to those in positions to amend or make laws."

For all of the controversy there was this year when it came to LGBTQ issues around the world, there’s also so much to celebrate, including a lot of firsts for the Calgary region, according to Sklenar.

"From a special concert featuring our 2016 Parade Marshall Rae Spoon to the first ever two-spirited Pride in Alberta, featuring a drag show cabaret at the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino on August 27th, we have a lot of exciting events for people to enjoy."

Of course the highlight of the week is the 2016 parade and festival, featuring the largest parade participation ever with over 130 parade entries, and more vendors than ever.

"We are humbled and excited about the explosive growth of our parade and festival. I think it truly shows the amount of pride Calgarians have."

In fact, in just a matter of six years the parade has gone from seeing 5,000 attendees to what is expected to be over 60,000 this year.

"And in addition to that, our festival has grown to a 10-day celebration of our diversity. As we move forward we will look for more ways to engage and celebrate our pride, and we look forward to seeing everyone."

There is an abundance of events happening for pride between August 26th and September 5th, so don’t forget to check out the website for more information. Parade kickoff is at noon on Sunday September 4th along 9th Avenue in downtown Calgary.