A large group of Ottawa residents came out Wednesday to support a drag storytime event at the National Arts Centre.
The event, part of Capital Pride's Winterlude programming, featured stories read by drag performers China Doll and Cyril Cinder, with music by Monkey Rock Music.
Much like other drag events, protesters were anticipated. A few dozen protesters holding signs with Bible verses turned out to oppose the event, but more than 200 supporters outnumbered them. More than a dozen police officers were on scene to keep the peace between the two sides.
Among the supporters was Ottawa Centre New Democrat MPP Joel Harden and Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster, who said she was able to join the crowd of supporters after Wednesday's city council meeting ended.
"We believe everybody should be loved for who they are, and we hope those who came to protest recognize this is about acceptance and they should join us," Harden said.
Ottawa police confirm four people were arrested but all were released at the scene. No criminal charges were laid.
Josh Alexander, a protester whose brother was among those arrested told CTV News he was opposed to what he perceived was drag's sexual nature.
"They have kids around drag and that's just wrong," he said. "It's a sexual thing. Drag's alaways been sexual until we recently politicized it."
But supporters noted there was nothing harmful to be found.
Executive director of Capital Pride Toby Whitfield said the turnout showed that Ottawa is an inclusive community.
"They try and use pride programming as a way to try and divide comunities and the message today is it's not going to work," Whitfield said. "Our community is going to come out and support, we're going to stand up against hate, against bigotry and send a message of love and inclusion."
Cyril Cinder later thanked the crowd for their support.
--With files from CTV's Jeremie Charron.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Global travel site Big 7 Travel ranked the most remote and beautiful places in the world, and only one Canadians location—Ivvavik national park—is among them.
Notable people will be in attendance at Friday’s gala dinner with U.S. President Joe Biden, hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, including former prime ministers and celebrities.
The first lady of the United States got a sweeping introduction to Canadian sports culture in Ottawa Friday as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau took Jill Biden to the curling rink for her first trip to Ottawa.
The immigration deal announced Friday by U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau aims to shut down a process that has enabled tens of thousands of immigrants from across the world to move between the two countries along a back road between New York state and Quebec.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Two students are being recognized for their quick actions, and school administration and parents are thanking the community, after a difficult week at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S.
Police say a woman is in hospital following a shooting in west Saint John, N.B., early Friday morning and three suspects have been arrested.
As competition for health-care workers heats up, so too does the bidding.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Ontario's so-called sunshine list is out and the top salary in the province was a little more than $1.7 million.
An astrophotographer from southern Ontario captured Thursday night's display of the Aurora Borealis and has offered some tips and tricks for catching a glimpse of them yourself tonight.
Short-term rental company Airbnb says it will pull listings that don't have a proper permit from the Quebec government. The San Francisco-based company made the announcement eight days after a fatal fire destroyed an Old Montreal building that housed illegal rentals.
Advocates are voicing concerns about a deal between Canada and the U.S. to end an immigration loophole allowing migrants to claim asylum when they cross unofficial borders like Roxham Road.
A restaurant owner in NDG says he's facing a $5,000 dollar bill to replace his terrace because he was told by the city that the one he's had for the past two years is a few centimetres too large.
Ontario's so-called sunshine list is out and the top salary in the province was a little more than $1.7 million.
CTV News has learned an Ontario Provincial Police sergeant with 22 years of service has been charged in Sudbury with criminal harassment.
Merrilee Fullerton, a longtime cabinet minister in Doug Ford's government, unexpectedly resigned Friday, forcing the premier to name a new minister to the children, community and social services post.
A London man was arrested early Friday morning after being spotted throwing a cinder block through the front door of a restaurant, according to police.
An elderly Byron man said he received numerous offers of help to clear away rotting barn rubble from his property, after a London, Ont. city council committee endorsed a recommendation to grant a demolition permit.
“Iranian Donor Save Lives Campaign is run by the Stem Cell Club, a non-profit donor recruitment organization that aims to increase the stem cell registry with more ethnically diverse individuals,” said Farnaz Farahbakhsh, the lead for the campaign.
A Manitoba First Nation is enacting measures to combat an ongoing drug and addiction crisis while also calling on the federal and provincial governments to do more to address drug-related deaths within northern remote Indigenous communities.
A town in Manitoba's Interlake area is trying to find new homes for stray cats that were dumped in the community.
Manitoba Public Insurance is working on a special licence plate meant to raise awareness on the societal issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people that will be made available to the Manitoba public by the end of the year.
A Kitchener man has been arrested by Waterloo regional police for making alleged death threats towards Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman.
An uncommon phenomenon lit up the skies across southern Ontario on Thursday night, including in Waterloo region where the aurora borealis – also known as the northern lights - shone bright enough to see with the naked eye.
The Region of Waterloo’s highest-paid public sector employee made just under $500,000 in 2022.
One person is missing and a dog is dead after two homes caught fire Friday afternoon in northwest Calgary.
Raushan Zhussupova, 63, and her grandson Kian Basiri, 1, were last seen around 11:20 a.m. on Friday in Windsor Park in the city’s southwest, when the pair left for a walk.
Calgary's Andrew G. Cooper is taking the storytelling leap from Fraggle Rock to Frankenstein.
An elder from a Saskatchewan First Nation says his home was raided last fall by conservation officers who confiscated moose meat intended for use in a ceremonial gathering and feast.
The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival has announced its 2023 ticketed lineup.
A fatal collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian last fall was accidental, according to Prince Albert police.
The procession is scheduled to leave the Alberta Legislature grounds toward Rogers Place at approximately 11:45 a.m.
A tuition increase of 5.5 per cent for domestic students and current international students was approved by the University of Alberta Friday morning.
The City of Beaumont says one of its community peace officers was threatened while issuing a parking ticket.
A legal advocacy group in Vancouver is calling for B.C. to overhaul its approach to mental health care in order to eliminate involuntary treatment options.
A forensic audit of BC Housing that the government ordered last year has been completed, though it's unclear when it will be released to the public.
Two people have been arrested in connection to a string of thefts in the Penticton area, according to RCMP.
Saskatchewan’s 2023-24 budget highlighted healthcare as one of its main priorities, with Emergency Medical Services getting a small cut of the new funding.
An elder from a Saskatchewan First Nation says his home was raided last fall by conservation officers who confiscated moose meat intended for use in a ceremonial gathering and feast.
Saskatchewan is likely taking a cautious approach when it comes to the surplus announced in the 2023-24 provincial budget, according to an associate professor of economics at the University of Regina.
