‘Sometimes life can truly all be rainbows and sunshine, and there is nothing wrong about it’
In the lead-up to Pride Week at Mt.A, The Pond, hosted a 2SLGBTQIA+ gathering on Sept. 19, 2026. The day started with a cozy vibe, where students could come in to play games and socialize, and later in the day Mt.A President, Ian Sutherland, and notable alumni from the community joined the gathering.
Though the atmosphere was dimly-lit, there was enough light seen in the way people approached each other, that only laughter and smiles reached out of the room. The event ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. giving time for all of those who attended to create a circle around each other, sit together, and talk about identities, past stories, course loads and aspirations flew like the colours of a rainbow.
Every person there felt so welcoming, and every individual seemed so enthusiastic to learn things about other people.
This sentiment is a core theme of smaller communities. Sackville is a small yet extremely inclusive town. There are rainbow crosswalks and a number of businesses display pride flags in their windows. Additionally, there is a student-led club for queer students named Catalyst and a Pride Week run by the Mount Allison Student Union.
All these initiatives make university life memorable and transformative for students. To be able to accept one’s identity, people need the sunshine of community to light up their path, so they can look at what is ahead, gather courage in their hearts, and live life the way they yearn to.
Events like these come as an opportunity for students to take a pause and reflect on their own state of mind, while navigating through difficult courses, mid term examinations and part-time jobs. When students connect with someone who teaches them, makes them genuinely happier, or just lets them be their real selves, it serves a real purpose for them in life, helping them figure out what’s next.
From the President of the University to first-year students, all were welcome to speak about their experiences, sit at the same place and take away learnings or memories that will carve out their perspective of looking at their lives for a while. It was not just about talking to each other, but it was the way hierarchies did not exist in the room at all.
That is the true essence of belonging.