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Petawawa, Ont. to fly Pride flag, support other causes after overturning resolution

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The town of Petawawa, Ont. is set to fly the Pride flag for the first time ever this summer.

The decision was made Monday night when council overturned Resolution 11, a rule established in 1998 that stopped the town from making any public proclamations.

"It's a great day for Petawawa and our community," said mayor Gary Serviss.

"This lets it be known that Petawawa is a welcoming, respectful, caring community."

Serviss has previously tried and failed to eliminate the rule in his eight years on council.

"I've heard it characterized as the do-nothing approach," said Lisa Coutu, town councillor and chair of Petawawa's equity, inclusion, and diversity committee.

"It's not neutral to do nothing in a situation where that symbol is so important."

The change now opens the door for the town to fly flags in support of other groups and organizations.

"'Every child matters' flags or for May 5, the Day of Action for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women; I can imagine those sorts of actions," Coutu tells CTV News.

Any flags will fly at a designated ceremonial flagpole located at the Petawawa Civic Centre.

The pole will only be used to fly such flags to ensure no one flag comes down for another.

For Petawawa resident and local high school teacher Jennifer Neville, it is a sweet success, as she has been lobbying the town's council to drop the resolution for two years.

"It's very frustrating, especially when you see other communities fly the flag. Pembroke flies the flag, Deep River flies the flag, everywhere around us has been flying the Pride flag, Indigenous flags."

She says her school has been flying the Pride flag for some time already, making the contingent of students at the school who are part of the LGBTQ2S+ community feel welcome.

"They can feel comfortable and safe and accepted. And so it's very nice to see."

Petawawa will hoist the Pride flag June 16, which will be the official start of the town's inaugural Pride event.

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