First St. Margaret’s Bay Pride festival aims to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people and fight hate

St. Margaret’s Bay Pride: Building Community and Inclusivity

What began as a small group of friends looking to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people in their community has blossomed into a 15-person organizing committee for St. Margaret’s Bay Pride’s inaugural festival. The Pride organization was established earlier in 2025, serving the communities in the scenic St. Margarets Bay area just outside Halifax.

Tania Cheng, one of the organizers who relocated to the area from Toronto four years ago, expressed the need for more visibility around 2SLGBTQ Pride in rural areas like St. Margarets Bay. “Especially in rural areas… folks can feel potentially more isolated,” Cheng noted. With the support of their wife and friends, they set out to change that by creating a platform for queer individuals to come together and celebrate their identities.

The newly formed Pride organization has reached out to businesses and groups in the St. Margarets Bay area to participate in the festival, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. “It just goes to show that there is a need and an interest for this here,” Cheng remarked.

Scheduled for June and July, the festival will feature over a dozen events, most of which are free and family-friendly. A highlight includes a trail walk leading to the Hubbards Barn, where a picnic and market will be held to conclude the festivities on July 26.

Supporting the organization is the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia, which recently launched a Rural Pride Fund. This initiative allows new Pride groups that are not formally incorporated to receive donations and sponsorships through the foundation, alleviating the burden of financial administration. Erika Rolston, the foundation’s executive director and a member of the queer community, emphasized the importance of providing support to grassroots organizations in their early stages.

The ultimate goal is for these organizations to eventually become incorporated, with the fund serving as a stepping stone towards sustainability. In addition to fostering community engagement, Cheng highlighted the importance of combating hate towards queer and trans communities as a driving force behind their efforts in organizing Pride events.

“St. Margarets Bay can be a welcoming and inclusive place for folks to live,” Cheng stated. “That we have built a stronger sense of queer community here than we ever did living in downtown Toronto, I think, is an indicator of that.” By creating a space for queer individuals to come together, St. Margaret’s Bay Pride is not only celebrating diversity but also fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance within the community.