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
Black Halifax Candidate Forces Racial Conversation In A City That Has Avoided It
HALIFAX — Jennifer Watts thinks Halifax council needs something that has been missing for almost a generation: diversity.
Black Halifax Candidate Forces Racial Conversation In A City That Has Avoided It
Tories Trigger Debate On Minister Amarjeet Sohi's $835,000 Office Renovations
OTTAWA — The Conservatives are hoping to embarrass the Liberal government by forcing them to spend hours debating pricey office renovations.
Tories Trigger Debate On Minister Amarjeet Sohi's $835,000 Office Renovations
Craft Clay Dentures Prompt Court Action Against Unlicensed B.C. Man
VANCOUVER — Several dental regulators in British Columbia have asked the province's Supreme Court to stop what they allege is an unlicensed denturist operating in the Vancouver area.
Craft Clay Dentures Prompt Court Action Against Unlicensed B.C. Man
Wood Tower At The University Of British Columbia A Game-changer For Construction
VANCOUVER — A student residence under construction at the University of British Columbia could set a new precedent for wooden towers in Canada.
Wood Tower At The University Of British Columbia A Game-changer For Construction
Health Canada Acknowledges Lack Of Data About Potency, Classification Of W-18
VANCOUVER — Health Canada has taken a step back from its claims that W-18 is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl, now acknowledging more research is needed.
Health Canada Acknowledges Lack Of Data About Potency, Classification Of W-18
Dolphin Sighting South Of Victoria Could Signal Warmer Oceans: U.S. Group
SEATTLE — A Seattle-based ecotourism group says the effects of global warming may be responsible for a unique sighting in the usually chilly northwest coast waters of the Salish Sea, south of Victoria.