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Calgary Pride Parade 2013: Thousands Attend, Redford Makes Historic Move (PHOTOS)

LOOK: Calgary Celebrates Pride Parade
CP/ Jeff McIntosh

Thousands of Calgarians came together to celebrate Pride Parade in the city's downtown on Sunday.

Part of week-long celebrations to promote equality and acceptance of Calgary’s LGBTQA community, the parade's attendees included Olympians Samuel Edney, Shannon Rempel and Denny Morrison and Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

Alison Redford also became the first Alberta premier to march in a gay pride parade, when she acted as grand marshal for Calgary's event on Sunday.

"I was extremely honoured to be the first Premier of Alberta to march in the Calgary Pride Parade today," said Redford on Facebook.

"It was a colourful, fun afternoon and an event that reminds us how open, welcoming and dynamic is our great province," she added.

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LOOK: Calgary Pride Parade 2013

"It's very encouraging, every year we're getting bigger and bigger," said Tansy Wong, director of media and communications to The Calgary Sun, adding that there were over 80 entries in the parade this year, many more than the 50 to 60 from last year.

Redford was also the first Alberta premier to participate in Edmonton's gay pride festival when she spoke after the parade in June 2012.

Kathleen Wynne, Canada's first openly gay provincial leader, made history earlier this year when she became the first sitting Ontario premier to march in the Toronto pride parade.

With files from The Canadian Press

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