A vibrant rainbow crosswalk at the corner of King Street and Milltown Boulevard was officially unveiled Wednesday evening, marking the opening of Charlotte County Pride 2025—and sending a message of love, inclusion, and solidarity that extends far beyond our borders.
The ceremony, attended by members of town council, CHCO-TV, and a supportive crowd of locals and visitors, served not only as a colourful celebration of progress in the community, but also as a symbol of unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community in the face of rising hostility south of the border.
“We just want to be accepted,” said Tracey Matheson, co-chair of Charlotte County Pride, during the unveiling. “We’re no different than anybody else—we just have a little more flavour in our life, right? But more than ever, our community needs to hold fast to our rights and look out for each other. We just have to look across that bridge and you can see what’s happening.”
Matheson, who grew up in St. Stephen, reflected on the town’s transformation over the past few decades.
“Being different was not exactly popular—or safe [when I was growing up],” she said. “But we’ve grown. We’ve changed. We have a Pride crosswalk now. That crosswalk represents every step we’ve taken to get here—and the steps we still have to keep taking.”
This year’s crosswalk unveiling came one day after CHCO-TV’s Pride Bingo brought Pride Week into homes across the province. From there, the celebrations continue through Saturday with an open house, social events, and the annual Charlotte County Pride Parade—set to march through the streets of St. Stephen on Saturday at 11 a.m., starting from the Dooly’s parking lot.
Organizers say the decision to hold the march in St. Stephen this year was deliberate—not just for visibility in the community, but to extend a hand of solidarity to neighbours across the border.
“To show that we’re here and we support them,” said Matheson. “We’re not blind. We see what’s happening. And when we take steps—like across the crosswalk or in our parade or at other events—we do this in recognition and solidarity for the people who are scared right now to be who they are. And that’s wrong. I want to be part of a community that says, ‘No. We are who we are. We celebrate love, we celebrate diversity, and we’re going to keep fighting for that—peacefully—but we’re going to do that here in Charlotte County.’”
Council support was also strong at the crosswalk opening, with several local officials in attendance, including Mayor Allan MacEachern, Councillor Emily Rodas and Councillor Marg Harding who was instrumental in making the crosswalk a reality.
“I’m passionate about people leading the lives that they want to live, not the ones that everybody else wants them to,” said Harding. “I believe in ‘live and let live.’ I believe that nobody should tell anyone who they can love.”
Councillor Rodas said symbols like a rainbow crosswalk let people know that the community is a place of inclusivity.
“For me, as a young adult, it’s really great to see how it impacts teenagers and even youth as young as elementary and middle school,” said Rodas. “It shows that even though we’re rural and small, it’s okay to be who you are—and that there are allies in the community.”
Rodas noted that efforts to install a rainbow crosswalk in St. Stephen date back to 2017, when middle school students first proposed it. “At that time, maybe our community wasn’t ready,” she said. “But now we are. It’s really come full circle.”
Robert Tinker, one of the organizers of Pride Week, called the moment long overdue. “This crosswalk is a statement,” he said. “It’s showing that we’re an inclusive community, that we welcome everyone. We want that message to be seen—and felt—on both sides of the border.”
Tinker added that the parade on Saturday will include participation from the RCMP, the St. Stephen Fire Department, and members of municipal government—a level of support that has grown alongside Pride itself.
Charlotte County Pride has come a long way since its earliest days. What began as a one-day gathering has now grown into nearly a full week of events across the region.
For Matheson, the symbolism of the crosswalk and the expanded celebrations is deeply personal—and political.
“This all started for me when Trump got elected,” she said, referencing her efforts to shine lights across the border from St. Stephen to Calais, Maine, in a simple but powerful show of support for LGBTQ+ Americans during the early days of what has become a deeply concerning political shift. “I just wanted to show with a little flashlight that, hey, we’re here. We see you. We care.”
As American LGBTQ+ rights continue to be threatened under the renewed Trump administration, organizers say Charlotte County Pride is as much about resistance as it is about celebration.
“Steps forward can be taken back if we’re not careful,” Matheson said. “That’s why Pride matters more than ever—here, and for those watching from across the river.”
The Charlotte County Pride Parade takes place Saturday, July 12, at 11 a.m., starting from Dooly’s on King Street and finishing with a community celebration and vendor market at Ganong Chocolate Park.
For a full list of events, follow Charlotte County Pride on social media.
