“Everybody’s In”: Rainbow Fleet Run marks Public Service Pride Week
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
CPL ANTONIO GARCIA ALVAREZ
Canadian Armed Forces members and civilian Defence Team staff laced up their running shoes for a Rainbow Fleet Walk/Run at His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard to mark Public Service Pride Week 2026 on August 20.
The run, hosted by the Atlantic Defence Team Pride Advisory Organization (ADTPAO) and Personnel Support Programs (PSP) Halifax, wound through the dockyard and along the Halifax waterfront to promote physical fitness and visibly demonstrate solidarity with 2SLGBTQI+ members and allies in the public service.
“It’s a good chance to get everybody together and bring together two different military goals, from physical fitness, which is obviously important, to raising awareness of the inclusive environment we’re still working to build,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) Astrid Bell, military co-chair of the ADTPAO.
PO2 Bell noted that while significant progress has been made toward inclusion and acceptance within the defence community over recent decades, work remains.
The run was one of several ADTPAO initiatives held during Public Service Pride Week from August 17 to 21, which this year carried the theme “Everybody’s In.” The group also hosted a Positive Space Ambassador course during the week. The two-day program prepares military and civilian participants for the volunteer Positive Space Ambassador role, which focuses on building welcoming and inclusive work environments. The Positive Space Ambassador course has been well received and is now offered monthly; the ADTPAO is hoping to train more course facilitators in the near future to keep pace with demand.
The group is also currently looking to fill a vacancy in its Civilian Co-Chair role. Reach out to ADTPAO@forces.gc.ca for more information.
“Getting more engagement from civilian staff would be wonderful, as well as making sure they are supported by their supervisors and managers,” PO2 Bell added.
The capstone of this year’s Public Service Pride Week was the opening of the Thunderhead Monument in Ottawa on August 21. The monument commemorates the Canadian government’s LGBT Purge, which lasted from the 1950s to the 1990s and targeted members of the public service and military.
PO2 Bell described the monument as a powerful reminder of the importance of solidarity and support within the Public Service.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, an ally, or a supporter. It takes everybody coming together to create a society and a workplace where we can all live openly, authentically, and inclusively,” she said.
