Springfield celebrates Pride with inaugural community walk
Posted June 14, 2026 5:38 pm.
Last Updated June 14, 2026 5:40 pm.
Hundreds of people gathered in Dugald over the weekend as the Rural Municipality of Springfield marked its third annual Pride celebration, highlighted by the event’s first-ever community walk.
Organizers say Springfield Pride has grown steadily since it was established in 2024 and became a non-profit organization in 2025. The event traditionally begins with a Pride flag-raising ceremony at the RM of Springfield municipal building, but a new policy prevented the ceremony from taking place this year.
Instead, organizers introduced an inaugural Pride walk through the community.
“It honestly felt amazing. It felt like this is why we do this,” said Shelley Campbell, co-chair and director of operations for Springfield Pride.
For participants, the event represented more than a celebration.
“Coming together as a community and having an event like this, I actually think of it as life saving work. I think it’s very protective against things like depression and suicide even, that when our community can come together, and people don’t feel alone, it’s just so important to have that,” said Trevor Kirczenow, a participant.
The inaugural walk drew emotional reactions from organizers who said public displays of support help foster a sense of belonging in rural communities.
“I was crying the entire walk because it is so wonderful to see things like his happening in our community and even ya know we saw maybe five or six people sitting outside, but when we do it next year, there will be more and that’s the idea, that we are showing people that we are here,” said Kristin Whent, co-founder of Springfield Pride.
Organizers say creating visible and welcoming spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ residents remains a key part of the group’s mission.
“I think it’s really important for people to feel safe and to feel like they don’t have to be hidden away because for so many years they where and there’s a lot of our adults that are here. They are just so happy to see the youth be able to be out and we just want the generations to feel safer and safer, especially in rural communities,” said Campbell.
In the lead-up to the event, organizers faced a setback when a sign promoting the celebration was taken and later returned with a “cancelled” sticker placed over it.
Campbell said the incident was disappointing, but ultimately strengthened organizers’ resolve.
“They put some work into that, and it was disheartening, but at the same time lets post about this, lets show people that we’re not gonna be dragged down by your hate, your homophobia all of that stuff. We’re gonna stand proud. We’re gonna still have our event and we’re probably gonna have more exposure now,” she said.
Despite the challenges, organizers say the continued growth of Springfield Pride demonstrates increasing support for inclusion and visibility in the community.
