John and I like to go picture hunting in the Rosedale Valley where the Pride Parade groups and floats prepare for their trip down Yonge Street. The valley is a-buzz with cheerful activity in the hours before the Parade begins.
For World Pride 2014 we were told the staging area extended from Park Road all the way to Bayview Avenue.
Rosedale Valley Road is shady and cool, a nice break from the sweltering city.
John marched in the original spontaneous protest march against the Toronto Police Bath House Raids of 1981. The annual protest that followed morphed into what we now call the Toronto Pride Parade.
This year we were touched to find the police lining up to be part of it all.
This police band, The Heat, was great fun. We laughed when they launched into "Bad boy, bad boy. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you."
John wanted to have his picture taken with this Mountie but was too shy to ask. If I'd only known!
It's always fun to see people get into costume.
Everyone looked gorgeous against the greenery.
We noticed a lot of Caribanna influence in the costumes.
This fellow could't find his float. We found it difficult to imagine that his float wouldn't be able to find him!
The Hilton Hotel truck had living dioramas on either side. Is that Paris?
John said "Note to self: bring your parasol".
We cheered for A Pied Levés, from Montreal as they rehearsed their routines.
The ghostly Two-Spirit float was dynamite.
As the parade got rolling we climbed the Park Road hill and ran into this fabulous creature.
We slipped away to find some lunch while he entered the biggest Pride Parade in the history of Toronto.
