Sarnia shows Pride flag, skips drama

As controversy swirled around some Southwestern Ontario communities over flying the Pride flag, Sarnia was calm at the start of Pride month.

A flag-raising ceremony was held June 1 outside of Bluewater Health in Sarnia in the morning and later in the day another was hosted by the agency Diversity Ed at the city’s flag court on the waterfront at Paul Blundy Park.

The city officially has recognized Pride month annually following a vote by council in 2019. Along with raising the flag in the waterfront park, city hall will be illuminated in Pride colours.

Steve Henshel, the city’s manager of communications, said those steps “demonstrate to our LGBTQ2S-plus community members that they’re welcome and valued parts of this community, as part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Paula Reame-Zimmer, CEO of Bluewater Health, hoisted the Pride flag after speaking to a crowd gathered outside the Sarnia hospital in the morning.

The ceremony was part of Bluewater Health’s own commitment to “diversity and inclusivity,” she said.

“The individuals we are allies with at Bluewater Health are extremely important to making sure we have quality care, and we need to celebrate with them.”

Sharon Bouffard, a registered nurse at the hospital, was among those watching.

Bouffard was a nursing student two years ago when she and a fellow student created a one-page reference guide to “queer health” that is still used at the hospital.

Bouffard, who identifies as a lesbian, said the guide was the result of hearing about situations where people didn’t receive “great care” when they sought health services.

“I wanted to create something to make health care more inclusive for everyone, and make it so health care providers have resources when they are caring for the queer population.”

It includes information on communication, definitions of common terms, common health concerns and information on community resources.

“I think there’s always room for improvement everywhere you go, but I feel like we’re taking steps in the right direction,” said Bouffard, who grew up in Sarnia. “I think that’s what matters.”

Elsewhere in the region, recent controversies include a councilor in Norwich Township who resigned after the council there banned all non-government flags, including Pride flags, on municipal property, and in neighboring Chatham-Kent where its council debated but rejected a similar motion.

“At the ground level, Sarnia has really come a long way in learning who their neighbors are and who their relatives and family and friends are, and what their identities are,” said Coun. Brian White, who spoke at the waterfront event.

“With that, we’ve become a community of acceptance and tolerance.”

White added he knows there are some with a different point of view but “their voices, right now, are very limited and quiet amidst a growing movement of people who are outwardly showing support.”

But Crystal Fach, a founder of Diversity Ed, said “this world is getting dangerous for us, right now, very dangerous. There are times when I’m scared to go outside my agency” and “there’s people who say horrific things to me” and others.

“We have to change the conversation. We have to figure out what we’re going to do and we have to do this together as a community.”