Canada’s largest municipal police service can march in the 2019 Pride parade if it meets the group’s entrance policy.

The organization’s already officially opened registration for next summer’s parade, but as yet Toronto police have not applied.

(Mark Blinch/Canadian Press)

But given Chief Mark Saunders reassurances the service wishes to foster respect and acceptance in the LGBTQ community, there’s no doubt police will return to the parade after a two-year absence.

”This is just the start to a much longer journey,” said Saunders.

”We’re not where we need to be yet, but as chief I promise you the Toronto Police Service will do anything and everything we can to get to where we need to be.”

Uniformed officers have been excluded since 2017 amid a strained relationship with the LGBTQ community.

But, Pride Toronto executive director Olivia Nuamah says over the past two years, the group’s developed a ”much more transparent and better working relationship” with police.

”We’re looking for real solutions to some of these issues, and what we’re not going to do is not sit around the table and not talk to each other in order to arrive at those solutions.”

The 2019 Pride parade will take place June 23.