Rainbow flags, community voices, and a call for solidarity are about to take over the streets of St. Stephen.
Charlotte County Pride returns Tuesday with five days of events celebrating inclusion, visibility, and support for LGBTQ+ communities—locally and across the border.
Organizers say this year’s celebration is about more than festivities. It’s about showing up, being seen and standing together.
“Each year, we want to make sure people feel seen, supported and not alone,” Pride organizer Todd Ross said.
“There are places of safety where you can gather, and it gives allies a chance to come out and say, ‘We’re here to support.’”
The week begins Tuesday at 7 p.m. with CHCO-TV’s Pride Bingo, a province-wide broadcast that invites viewers across New Brunswick to join in from home.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., a ribbon cutting and rainbow crosswalk unveiling will take place at the corner of King Street and Milltown Boulevard. The ceremony marks the official opening of Charlotte County Pride 2025.
Thursday’s event is an open house at Kirk McColl Church, beginning at 7 p.m., where community leaders, including
Ross and former St. Stephen deputy mayor Robert Tinker will share personal stories and speak about their experiences.
On Friday at 8 p.m., Dooly’s will host “Pool and Pubery,” a casual social night open to all.
The celebration wraps up Saturday with the Charlotte County Pride Parade, which begins at 11 a.m. at Dooly’s parking lot on King Street.
The parade will travel down King Street and Milltown Boulevard to the Ferry Point Bridge before returning to Ganong Chocolate Park for a family-friendly celebration and vendor market.
Ross said this year’s Pride also carries a political message, particularly in response to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in parts of the United States.
“We want to show that we have community support for what’s happening in the LGBTQ+ community to the south of us,” he said.
“We feel their pain, and we just want to send a little bit of love and support.”

Ross said Charlotte County Pride began several years ago after middle school students in St. Stephen faced pushback from the town council over a proposed rainbow crosswalk.
He said a community march in support of the students drew about 80 people and sparked what would become the region’s first Pride event.
Since then, the celebration has rotated through communities including St. Andrews and St. George, but organizers felt it was important to return to St. Stephen this year.
Ross, who grew up in the town, said the visibility of Pride in smaller communities is especially meaningful.
“When I grew up there in the 1980s, there was no visible support in the community,” he said.
“There weren’t any role models or events for queer kids. So to do these events now is so important—not just for young people, but for everyone to know they’re not alone.”
Ross will also speak at Thursday’s open house about his experience being discharged from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1990 due to his sexuality.
He later became one of the lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the federal government, which resulted in a $145-million settlement and the creation of the LGBT Purge Fund.
The fund has supported national initiatives including a travelling museum exhibit, a future monument in Ottawa and the release of historic government documents related to the purge.
Ross said he hopes Pride continues to grow in Charlotte County and becomes something that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We’ve had people move here from across Canada as well as the U.S., and Pride is a way to show them there’s a community here, but also a chance to connect.”
All events are free and open to the public. A full schedule is available through Charlotte County Pride’s official social media channels.