One of North America's largest celebrations of gay culture took over downtown Toronto on Sunday.

Michael Leshner -- one-half of Canada's first officially married gay couple -- reminisced a bit as he walked in the parade.

"You know, when we met 24 years ago ... we started the second Pride. There were like 12 people there," he said, with horns and sirens blaring in the background.

The first gay pride march in 1981 was one of defiance in response to police raids on gay bathhouses.

In the 25th anniversary parade, Bill Blair, Toronto's new police chief, was walking in the parade -- the first chief to do so.

"It's very nice, a beautiful day," he said with a smile on his face.

David Miller, Toronto's mayor, attended the parade, as did NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Miller said the intervening 25 years shows how much Toronto has changed as a city.

"You see the face of Toronto up and down the street. You see families, Torontonians from every background," he said.

"And that's how our city's changed: Everyone is welcome in this city."

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was in Toronto, but he said Saturday he would be spending the day with his son Ben. He did speak against same-sex marriage Sunday to a religious gathering.

The parade showcased everything from bronzed, scantily-clad dancers gyrating on floats to pounding dance music to the more sedate groups, like Grandparents for Gays and Lesbians.

Toronto businessman and philanthropist Salah Bachir was the parade's grand marshall.

Saturday featured the 10th annual Dyke March, where several lesbian couples used the occasion to get married.

One of those couples was Ann Hudson and Paula Kruse, both of Denver, Colo., who read their vows in front of throngs of strangers, at a ceremony they could not have in their home country.

"It's just so silly that people (in the United States) think so differently from people in Canada," Kruse said.

Sunday's parade was the last major event of Pride Week, which organizers say has about one million participants over its seven-day length, although parties continued into the evening in Toronto's gay village.

On Monday, Parliament will begin third-reading debate on Bill C-38, which will make same-sex marriage the law all across Canada.

The bill passed its first and second readings and is expected to pass third reading.

After that, C-38 requires the approval of the Senate and then royal assent to become the law.

Opponents of same-sex marriage held prayer vigils at the offices of about 20 MPs across the country who say they support the legislation.

With a report from CTV News Toronto's Galit Solomon