Rendezvous Pride: Aylmer’s first pride even hosted during the Old Aylmer Festival

Sophie Demers

 

Aylmer hosted its first in-person LGBTQ+ pride event on August 20 at the Centre Aydelu during the Old Aylmer Festival.   The single day event was hosted by the Aylmer Bulletin and brought together residents from across the sector and various local businesses and organizations for a trade fair along with other activities for families.The event was hosted by Don “Dynasty Starr” Graham, the founder of Gender Illusions which also put on a theatre performance during the Rendezvous.
Among the local services and business present at the event were the Ombudsman of Gatineau, IDEM Jeunesse and the Connexions Resource Centre, Rio Açai, Mr. Puffs, Eros & Compagine, Tonies Fashion, MassOterra, Locale Coiffure pour Hommes and Claire Poirier Immobilier.
Local clothing store Tonies Fashion put on a fashion show for all tastes during the event and yoga studio MassOterra promoted their hot yoga classes. Particularly noteworthy was the contribution of Locale Coiffure pour Hommes who offered haircuts to raise money for charity.  The business’s owner, Tanya Picard, has also recently given a helping hand to parents in the community by giving out free backpacks with clothes and school supplies some of which she distributed during the Rendezvous. In addition to this, the Lions Club set up a booth during the day collecting donations of used glasses and IDEM jeunesse was raising funds for their founder who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Mr. Puffs, another local franchise, provided snacks for the event and Rio Açai set up a food truck to serve refreshing drinks.
The spirit at the event was festive and had a high attendance. This is the second in person event that the Bulletin has hosted since public health measures have allowed for larger gatherings. Stay tuned for more Bulletin events in the coming months.