Kootenay Pride Guide

The Columbia Basin is a southeast British Columbia region consisting of all the watersheds that flow into the Columbia River and operates in the unceded territories of the Ktunaxa, Lheidli T’enneh, Secwépemc, Sinixt, and Syilx Nations. The region is 80,000km2 and has a permanent population of 165,000 people. The Elk Valley, in which Fernie Pride is based, is a region in the Basin. Driving, it would be 856km from the most southern to northern communities in the Columbia Basin.

The Kootenay Pride Guide will comprehensively map the region and share the tools, services, businesses, and organizations that directly serve the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies. The Guide will be available in print and online versions allowing residents and visitors to readily access their required information. The Columbia Basin is a rural area with communities separated often by long distances. This relative isolation creates knowledge gaps in the services that exist for people, not only in their own towns, but in the homes of others. In rural areas, it is common for people to travel to neighbouring towns for health care, groceries, etc. The Guide will allow them to gain insight into what services and resources are offered, where they are, and how to access them – an invaluable tool for Queer people in rural Canada.

The Kootenay Pride Guide will map available services, resources, businesses, and organizations and develop a comprehensive adapted services listing and description. Things to be included are health and self-care providers, retail, restaurants, community groups and organizations, recreation, mechanics, realtors, and essentially anyone or place that is Queer owned, Queer friendly, or a Queer provider. The Guide will allow 2SLGBTQ+ people and allies to choose welcoming spaces that support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Latently, it may help businesses start or further their DEI work as it may be a goal to be in a Columbia Basin wide Guide that potentially could lead to increased revenue in their outlet. 

The Guide arose from requests at the 2023 Queer Out Here Rural Conference. The sharing of available resources in attendees’ communities highlighted the lack of knowledge about what currently exists in the region. The creation of a summary document that allows people to quickly locate information was named a priority goal. We will work with various Chambers of Commerce, primary and secondary care providers, private and public businesses, members of the Columbia Basin 2SLGBTQ+ Network, and community groups and organizations to ensure the mapping is done as comprehensively as inclusively as possible. Success will be measured by mapping and production of the Kootenay Pride Guide, online visitation, number printed, and community collaborations.