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After learning about Family Pride in Lethbridge, Alta. last week, I’ve kept to the West, to find out about Family Prides in Calgary and Victoria. They’re two important cities in Canada that provide some important queer fun. And how family-friendly are they? It turns out, very!

For folks who remain convinced they live in the centre of the universe, pay extra attention some things we just can’t do in our city that happens at these Prides.

And back to centre of the universe, there’s a totally awesome Family Pride event coming this Tuesday to Toronto (see below) that every queer and trans family should go to. (You didn’t think the centre of the universe was anywhere other than Toronto, did you?)

Victoria Pride Society, August 27-28, with events throughout the summer. Super mom Laurissa Chapple is the communications and media coordinator with the Victoria Pride Society. Like most Pride organizers, it’s a volunteer job she fits in between the other parts of her life, like work and kids. In the enormity of all that spare time. Over the phone, Chapple sounds psyched. She’s proud of how Victoria’s family space, called Kids Camp, is coming together. She thinks they’ve got the best Kids Camp in the festival’s history. (The camp is in its sixth year, and this is Victoria’s 15th Pride.)

“Right down from being on the boobie to 12 and 13 years old, we’ve got it covered,” Chapple said. “And then after that [age] they just get too cool for kids camp.”

Chapple said the camp had a rough start this year. The Society didn’t have a coordinator, like they usually do. What happened next she said, is typical Victoria. The Society put the word out the camp needed support. Lo and behold, a slew of different, local companies came together. They’ve provided a 50-foot obstacle course, a mini-castle for toddlers, a breastfeeding tent and a tent for older kids to play Guitar Hero with music teachers and instruments.

“All these businesses came together and created it on their own, it’s very Victoria, …very grassroots,” Chapple said. “It’s familiar, it’s community. … It’s not big corporate sponsored [like you see] if you go to the Prides in bigger cities.”

Not to mention, if your kids are old enough and no one is prone to seasickness, the Victoria Pride Society offers a Pink Whale Watching on July 5. We don’t have whales in the Centre of the Universe.

Pride Calgary, September 1 – 11, 2011, with events throughout the summer.

Queers in Calgary have to wait out the summer for their hometown Pride party. But waiting can make the heart grow fonder. And they’ve also got the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association school to tide them over for a while too.

Despite the event being more than two months away, Sam Casselman, President of Pride Calgary says it’s already getting hectic.

“I’m feeling pretty crazy right now,” she said. “But that’s ok, it’s for a good cause.”

Casselman is not a parent, but recognizes queer families as an important part of the community in her city. It’s why family-friendly events are part of Pride Calgary.

“(On) Pride Day we have a whole section of the park that’s booked for a family and kid zone,” she said.

The family zone in Calgary includes a dunk tank, requisite bouncy tent and face painting. It happens at the same as the more adult-oriented Club Sapien Beer Gardens. Pride Calgary keeps queer youth in mind when planning events. The Misc. Youth/Family Kid Zone is planned along with Calgary’s queer youth organization, the Miscellaneous Youth Network.

“[Pride] is not just about the beer garden and the dancing,” she said. “I think we have a good balance of both.”

And meanwhile … in the Centre of the Universe, there’s a party coming!

It’s never too soon to start celebrating Pride. And, frankly, a kid-friendly Gaga Born this Way amateur dance performance as a kick off to a family-friendly mini-Pride parade around the gaybourhood (which Chris Veldhoven, coordinator of the 519 Queer Parenting Programs) promises is going to happen, can just not come soon enough. It’s why queer and trans families in the Toronto area should definitely go the annual Queer Family Pride Party at the 519 this Tuesday.

This year’s theme “Let’s get Physical,” is in recognition to the health and well-being of queer and trans families, and the 519’s Healthy Transactions program for trans youth. It promises to be a blast. DJ Dickie will be providing beats during a dance party, there’s volleyball, and young kids can make Pride pompoms to use during the parade.

“Last year … we took over the street and stopped traffic,” Veldhoven said.

Is stopping traffic stirring any memories? Veldhoven said the Family Pride parade brings many parents back to their first Prides, when Pride was a political march.

“Different families are finding the parade to be a mix of affirming their past as well as teaching their kids how to celebrate, speak out and feel proud about themselves.”

My family is so going. Veldhoven had me sold at the Gaga performance.

Let’s Get Physical 519’s Queer Family Pride Party 2011

June 21, 5:30 to 8:00 pm

519 Church Street Community Centre

And before you do that, you should absolutely do this: Queer fams in the Toronto area, if you haven’t already, take a few minutes to complete the LGBTQ Family Network’s survey. It’s information they need to keep providing the amazing services they do.

Photo by Maarten Utreg via Flickr