After having considered canceling the hour of the story presented by the drag queen Barbada, the borough of Saint-Laurent confirmed Monday that the activity will indeed take place, next November.

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“Saint-Laurent Council will always encourage and respect art and creativity, in all its forms. This is why we are happy to have been able to exchange with Barbada during an enriching meeting for all, ”said Alain De Sousa, mayor of the borough of Saint-Laurent, in a press release.

At the beginning of July, Le Devoir revealed that an elected official from the borough would have lobbied to have the activity, which had been planned for several months, cancelled.

After this decision, the artist, Sébastien Potvin, his real name, requested a meeting with elected officials to explain his approach and try to reassure them.

“The main objective is to give children a taste for reading, while discovering the richness of differences! I am also happy to have been able to exchange freely and with mutual respect with the Saint-Laurent Council. It is important to answer the questions to avoid any misunderstanding,” he said.

At the same time, the borough administration announced that it will salute the start of Pride week in Montreal by raising the rainbow flag.

Since 2016, Barbada has offered storytimes in different libraries. “His messages are imbued with openness to difference, inclusion and diversity,” he explained in the borough press release.

Storytime will be presented on November 5 at 2 p.m. at the Bibliothèque du Boisé, and at 10:30 a.m. at the Bibliothèque du Vieux-Saint-Laurent.