Moose Jaw Pride has been busy over the last few weeks, reopening the door to the Rainbow Retro thrift shop, continuing to host their free tax clinic, and holding their AGM this week.

Cole Ramsey, Vice-Chair and the Co-Gender Diversity Rep with Moose Jaw Pride, says a board election took place during their meeting earlier this week

Vice-Chair & Co-Gender Diversity Representative, Cole Ramsey

"Myself and our chair Kelly Carty were elected to our second terms on the board. Kate Ballard and Nick Crawford who had both joined the board between the last AGM and now had their place on the board affirmed, and we also had a nomination from the community for a new board member Melissa Patterson, and our sixth board member Katrina Howick."

The full Board of Directors now looks like this;

  • Taylor Eden Carlson, Executive Director 
  • Laura Budd, Education Coordinator
  • Kelly Carty, Chair 
  • Cole Ramsey, Vice-Chair & Co-Gender Diversity Representative 
  • Katrina Howick, Treasurer
  • Nik Crawford, Secretary & Co-Gender Diversity Representative 
  • Kate Ballard, Member at Large 
  • Melissa Patterson, Member at Large

Other items discussed included membership over the last year and reviewing their financial report. 

While the doors were closed at the Rainbow Retro thrift shop during the lockdown, the group at MJ Pride kept busy in other ways as well. 

"Moose Jaw Pride has been running a free tax clinic. We are also offering peer support, and with that we've been helping folks with tax preparation, applying for the CERB, rental housing supplements, employment insurance, and other benefits and the services and supports that are available to them in our community."

Ramsey says helping people has been a big focus of the group since social gatherings are unable to happen. A number of their events have had to be cancelled as well thanks to the pandemic, including cancelling gender diversity awareness week and moving Pride Week online for a digital celebration.

Rainbow Retro Thrift Shop is located at 345 Main St N and offers second-hand clothing, household items, and furniture, with all proceeds going to Moose Jaw Pride to support the lgbtq2ia community.