Former Vancouver Pride chair reflects on past parades

When asked about his favourite memory of the Vancouver Pride parade, one moment stands out forAlan Herbert.

The former city councillor wasthe first elected chair of the Vancouver Pride Society boardin 1994.

Back then, he says, the parade had a meagre budget andonly attracted about 5,000 people a fraction of the hundreds of thousands it's expected to attract this weekend.

"We were really trying to make a name and a placefor the Pride society," Herbert said.

"So when we got theparticipationof say, the police department or the fire departmentor theRCMP,that was a major achievement."

Around that time, Philip Owen became thefirst mayor to march in the parade from start to finish.

The moment Owenand Herbert shared after finishing the route that day and looking over as the rest of the floats came in is one Herbert says he will never forget.

"The music was great, the weather was perfect, there were balloons everywhere and he just looked at me and said, 'Why haven't Ibeen here before," said Herbert.

Owen came to the parade for several years after then, Herbert says.

Police welcome

While politicians weren't a common sight in the early days of the parade, police had always had a presence there as protectors of the participants at a time when LGBT issues were far more controversial than they are today.

But Herbert says in 1998, they became participants themselves.

"It's allowed us to be comfortable as gay men and women," Herbert said of the police presence.

It's why he says he disagrees with a recent request from the local chapter of Black Lives Matter forpolice tovoluntarily withdraw its float from the upcoming Pride Paradebecause of concerns their participationcreates an unsafe atmosphere for some communities.

"The police have always been wonderful to us. and we as gay men and women, we need the protection of the police, so we're not asking them to leave," Herbert said.

"It's not our job to say no to anybody.We're very accepting of everyone toparticipatein the parade."

Herbert says the parade, which oncestruggled for recognition, is now regarded as one of the biggest, family-friendly events of the Lower Mainland.