On June 1st at 10am, York Regional Police will be raising the Rainbow Flag at their first official Pride flag-raising ceremony at their headquarters in Aurora.

Please join York Regional Police officers, representatives from York Pride Fest, PFLAG and other local LGBT organizations at this historic event, as we celebrate York Region's 15th Pride Week Festival at this official Pride flag-raising ceremony at the York Regional Police headquarters in Aurora.

The flag-raising ceremony will be preceded by brief formalities at which Chief Eric Jolliffe will convey greetings, and will be followed by refreshments and an opportunity to view an LGBTQ display that will continue throughout the month of June. During the event, York Regional Police will also unveil their 2015 Pride Vehicle.

All are welcome to attend.

The Rainbow Flag was first flown in York Region by the Town of Newmarket in 2002, but then followed years without any sign of the flag in any municipality.

As evidence of York Region's transformation into one of Canada's most diverse and inclusive regions, 2009 saw a dramatic change when the City of Vaughan and Towns of Markham and Newmarket agreed to fly the Rainbow Flag during our Pride Week. The Towns of Georgina and Aurora joined this new tradition in 2010 when, for the first time, the flag was also raised at every Seneca college campus in the region. In 2013, the Town of East Gwillimbury also flew the flag throughout Pride Week.

Since 2011 the Town of Richmond Hill has not only agreed to fly the flag, but has also hosted an official flag-raising ceremony, as has the City of Markham since 2013. This year we are honoured that official rainbow flag-raising ceremonies are to be hosted not only by each of these municipalities but also by the Town of Aurora and the Town of Georgina.