Pride Winnipeg is looking for more volunteers with its 30th festival set to begin on Friday.

Darrel Nadeau, vice-president governance with Pride Winnipeg, said there are currently about 180 volunteers signed up for the festival, but many of them have not yet registered for official roles during the festival or parade.

“We’re looking for about 100 more people to register for different shifts,” he said. “That can range from one or two hours of helping out during the festival or parade, or it could be a whole day, depending on what people are able to give.”

Nadeau added that volunteers would be responsible for a wide range of tasks, including keeping spectators safe, recycling and composting, and setting up tents.

He said volunteers are essential for making the event a success.

“The Pride Winnipeg festival is fully volunteer-run, we don’t have any staff,” said Nadeau. “Basically the more volunteers we can have, the bigger and better our festival can be.”

PRIDE MAKES DECISION ON POLICE PARTICIPATION

Nadeau also said they hope to make an announcement this week as to whether or not police will be participating in the festival.

“We had a meeting with the Winnipeg police a week-and-a-half ago and we made a joint decision. We’re just in the process of finalizing a joint statement that will be released by Pride Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Police Service and other community groups as well,” said Nadeau.

Pride Winnipeg launched an online survey in April, asking people whether police should be allowed to march in the parade.

Pride festivals in other cities have faced calls to bar police from marching in the parade.

In January, people who attended Pride Toronto's annual general meeting voted to ban police from participating. Earlier this month, Pride Toronto organizers said they will allow police to march, as long as they do not bring their uniforms, weapons or vehicles.

PARADE MARCHING THROUGH PORTAGE AND MAIN

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the festival in Winnipeg, Nadeau said the parade will be taking a different route this year.

“The parade is going right through Portage and Main, which hasn’t been done in many years,” he said. “Traditionally, it goes down York and Broadway.”

He said the Portage and Main intersection was on the initial route for the first parade back in 1987.

If you’re interested in volunteering, you can sign up online at pridewinnipeg.com.

Pride week starts this Friday and runs until June 4, with the parade scheduled for the final day.

With files from Cameron MacLean