KELOWNA, B.C. — The mayor of a city in B.C.'s picturesque Okanagan Valley has turned an insult into his own proud, tongue-in-cheek persona.
Colin Basran, now known as Kelowna's "Sugarplum Mayor," is working with the city's Young Professionals Collective to host a Sugarplum Ball on July 9 to show support for the region's LGBTQ community.
The event comes one year after the city installed a rainbow crosswalk at a downtown intersection in an effort to promote inclusion.
But while the crosswalk had unanimous support from city council, it gained unexpected backlash from a few residents.
In an online forum, one community member referred to "Mayor Sugarplum" in an effort to insult Basran for supporting the installation of the crosswalk. The comment had the opposite effect.
"I actually found it kind of funny and I kind of liked it," Basran said.
Recognizing the opportunity to increase support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, Basran said the Okanagan Pride Society approached him with the idea of hosting a Sugarplum Ball.
MORE National ARTICLES
Six Nations Police Say 3 Face Murder Charges In Shootings In Sontario Community
Six Nations police say officers found a teenage boy and two men who had been wounded, along with an SUV with gunshot damage, on Wednesday afternoon.
Six Nations Police Say 3 Face Murder Charges In Shootings In Sontario Community
Cyberbullying Insurance To Cover Victims' Legal, Medical And Advisory Costs
TORONTO — In a sign of the times, Chubb has brought its cyberbullying insurance to Canada.
Cyberbullying Insurance To Cover Victims' Legal, Medical And Advisory Costs
Parkash Singh Badal Terms Paddy MSP Hike 'Meagre, Inadequat
Farmers of the country were facing an acute crisis and the government of India was duty-bound to bail out the food growers of nation from it.
Parkash Singh Badal Terms Paddy MSP Hike 'Meagre, Inadequat
Health Care Could Consume Half Of Provincial Budgets In Canada By 2030
Canada's provincial governments have to spend much more on health care over the next 20 years, triggering higher taxes, larger deficits, and reduced spending on other services, said a new study released on Tuesday.
Health Care Could Consume Half Of Provincial Budgets In Canada By 2030
Parliament Hill Cocktail Circuit Comes With Lifestyle Challenges For MPs
"It's an occupational hazard," said one former senior political aide from a previous Liberal government.
Parliament Hill Cocktail Circuit Comes With Lifestyle Challenges For MPs
Horse Skull Disappears As Researchers Unearth Gold-Rush Era Skeleton In Yukon
Assistant paleontologist Elizabeth Hall said the horse skeleton was discovered in the Carcross desert Friday when some bones were spotted sticking out of the ground.