Pride in the Peace

My name is Lyle Goldie, and I’ve lived here in Fort St. John for over ten years. I’m the past president of the North Peace Pride Society, and I’ve been involved with Pride events in our community for over a decade.

My work with the Pride Society over the years, has really changed how I view our community and it has created so many wonderful connections throughout the city. And these connections are ever growing. Community matters more than ever, not as a happy-go-lucky slogan, but as a shared responsibility.

I want to share a bit about the North Peace Pride Society and reflect on what we’ve learned over the past eleven years. Not because we have it all figured out, but because our experience here in Fort St. John shows that even small wins can make a real difference. Through both colourful celebration and challenging moments, the Society’s guiding belief has stayed the same:  we are stronger together, and there is a home for everyone here.

Acceptance doesn’t follow a straight line. It moves forward in undulating waves, and sometimes it feels like we’re taking steps backward.

When I look back on more than a decade of Pride in Fort St. John, I often think of a pendulum. Most years, we’ve seen growing acceptance, the usual indifference, and a small sprinkling of hate. When I recently reread some of my past Pride speeches, I felt a slight tinge of sadness I didn’t expect. There was a time when the City of Fort St. John received no complaints about Pride events at all. In today’s climate, where division often feels louder and more persistent, it can feel like that pendulum is swinging back.

The North Peace Pride Society has faced difficult moments. At times, it nearly broke us. What keeps us going are the quieter interactions… The person who stops to say, “thank you,” or someone who tells us that Pride events changed how they feel about Fort St. John, that they finally felt like they belonged here. Those moments may not make headlines, but they matter. They cut through the sense of being pulled under and remind us why showing up still counts.

This past February was one of the hardest moments our region has faced in recent years. The tragic events in nearby Tumbler Ridge deeply affected many of us in Fort St. John. The loss of life was devastating, and what followed was also painful, as anger directed toward the trans community, both locally and across the province, ignited.

My heart was with the families who lost loved ones, the community of Tumbler Ridge where I’ve spent a great deal of time, and the trans community who found themselves carrying the weight of misplaced anger. People were hurting, and too often that hurt was directed at a perceived enemy.

One week later, the North Peace Pride Society had a Valentine’s Day dance scheduled here in Fort St. John. There were conversations about whether to cancel or continue. But in the end, the Society chose to go ahead, with additional security measures in place so people could feel safer attending. I was reminded of something I heard during theatre rehearsal: that performance is a gift that we give the audience, an escape, even if only for a couple of hours.

Pride events, or even something as simple as seeing a Pride sticker in town, can offer that same moment of refuge. A pause. A breath. In difficult times, those moments might feel small, like crumbs, but sometimes crumbs are what sustain us until better days return. 

We choose togetherness, even when others choose exclusion. It isn’t easy work, but I am continually inspired by our young people in Fort St. John who are stepping into this space with courage and determination. In a social media landscape filled with division and blame, they continue to show up and remind the rest of us why it matters to stay engaged and present.

Pride and the rainbow flag won’t resonate with everyone, and that’s okay. We’re all different. But I hope that when things are tough, we can still come together as a community… To be willing to say when something isn’t okay, and to be open to asking questions that move us forward. Change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens one “crumb” at a time.

One crumb came from the Pride art show we hosted a few years ago called “What Does Pride Mean to Me?” Artists of all ages and experience levels participated. It is one of my most favourite memories, but one young artist statement’s has stayed with me all this time:

“While trying to think of what pride means to me, I found myself drawing a blank. I’ve never been particularly connected to the celebration of my identity, but the more I reflect, the more I’ve come to appreciate what it represents. I now understand that much of my discomfort comes from feeling shame about being trans. As I meet more people who are comfortable with who they are, it’s becoming easier to accept myself. Pride, through community, has helped me sometimes appreciate my identity as a trans person.”

That reflection captures why Pride matters, not as a spectacle, but as a pathway to belonging. Pride is about community, safety, and belonging. It’s about making sure people can see themselves reflected here in Fort St. John and know they are not alone.

There is a home for everyone in Fort St. John.

I hope to see you at the 11^th annual Pride Walk and Festival on June 6^th, 2026.  The event will kick off at 2:00pm with the walk and festivities afterwards.  It is a free, fun event for everyone.  Check out the North Peace Pride Society’s Facebook for all the latest news on events!