The Pride flag will fly outside Ottawa City Hall to honour the victims of a mass shooting in Orlando early Sunday morning.
The flag will be on display outside Ottawa's heritage building until sundown on Thursday, June 16, 2015. The American flag will fly at the same time at Marion Dewar Plaza.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he made the request in memory of the 50 people killed and 53 injured during a massacre at a gay club in Orlando, FL around 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
"There is simply no reason for this senseless act of violence," the mayor wrote in a statement. " We will keep those affected by this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish them strength in their battle against hatred, discrimination and extremism."
The massacre comes as cities across the United States and Canada celebrate pride month. Police in Toronto are said to be speaking with investigators to determine whether security needs to be beefed up during pride month events. Here in Ottawa, Capital Pride board members said it is too early to be thinking about the need for additional security.
"Right now we're just thinking of Orlando and our community there," said Tammy Dobson, a spokesperson for Ottawa Capital Pride. We haven't thought of ourselves ... It's really about what happened down south and those most affected."
Those affected will be remembered at a silent vigil at the Human Rights Monument beginning at 8:00 p.m. Sunday. The candlelight vigil is being organized by Ottawa Capital Pride.
"We stand in solidarity against such acts of violence. We express our deepest sympathies to the victims and their loved ones," the group wrote in a statement.
More than 100 people have already RSVP'd on Facebook.
Tributes to the victims are growing outside the U.S. Embassy on Sussex Drive.
