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
Four-Year-Old Nova Scotia Boy Found Dead In His Grandparents' Pool
Police said officers and a ground search and rescue crew scoured the area for the boy.
Four-Year-Old Nova Scotia Boy Found Dead In His Grandparents' Pool
Multiple Search Warrants Nets Drugs, Guns, Cash, And Vehicles In Prince George, Richmond, Chilliwack
On June 11, 2016, three search warrants were executed in Prince George, Richmond and Chilliwack which resulted in the arrests of four individuals and the seizure of substances believed to be cocaine and heroin
Multiple Search Warrants Nets Drugs, Guns, Cash, And Vehicles In Prince George, Richmond, Chilliwack
Education Minister Says North Okanagan School Board Had To Be Fired
VICTORIA — Members of the North Okanagan-Shuswap school board have been fired by the British Columbia government over financial troubles and a loss of public confidence.
Education Minister Says North Okanagan School Board Had To Be Fired
Highway Of Tears Bus Service To Run From Prince George To Prince Rupert
Eighteen women have been murdered or have disappeared along Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert and adjacent routes since the 1970s.
Highway Of Tears Bus Service To Run From Prince George To Prince Rupert
Calgary Police Lay Several Charges Against Their Own After Anti-Corruption Probe
Police say a woman came to them in August 2014 with allegations that she was being harassed by people she believed were hired by her former husband.
Calgary Police Lay Several Charges Against Their Own After Anti-Corruption Probe
A Third Of Canadian Kids Sleep Deprived, Most Get Too Much Screen Time: Report
TORONTO — Almost a third of Canadian school-aged kids are sleep-deprived while most are spending too much time staring at screens, suggests an annual report on the state of children's health.