Feds providing $1.5M for increased security at Pride events across Canada

The federal government will be providing $1.5 million to Pride organizations across the country for increased security measures at parades and other events this year, CTV News has learned.

The funding, to be announced by Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien later today, is being provided to Fierté Canada Pride to distribute to local event organizers who apply for assistance.

In mid-May, the national association of Canadian Pride organizations sent the federal government an “emergency funding proposal” asking for $1.5 million to help cover increased safety and security costs, stemming from concerns over a rise in anti-LGBTQ2S+ hate, violence, and threats. 

“Every day, we witness attacks in person at events and online targeting community leaders, event organizers, elected representatives, venues, artists and performers, families and young people,” reads Fierté Canada Pride’s proposal.

Among the measures the organization said are costing more for the 2023 Pride season: security and police services, volunteer training, insurance premiums, and emergency planning materials.

This funding will go towards expenses related to:

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  Vehicle and crowd control;
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  Barricades and fencing;
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  Municipal emergency service costs;
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  Paid-duty police or private security;
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  Training for staff and volunteers; and
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  Safety gear such as high-visibility vests and radios.

This one-time emergency funding allocation will be coming from an equality-focused program within Ien’s department, and fits into the federal government’s LGBTQ2S+ “Action Plan” unveiled last August.

The funding, sources tell CTV News, will be allocated to festivals that seek it, based on their size.

For example, large Pride events such as those in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver will be pitching for their share of a $750,000 budget, while another $600,000 would be divided up between medium-sized festivals in cities such as Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax, as well as Pride events in smaller locations.

While some larger Pride festivals have been used to account for security costs associated with organizing their events, some smaller towns and communities are facing having to hire security for the first time.

With planning well underway for the 2023 Pride season, the funding is expected to be able to move out the door quickly.

Fierté Canada Pride is also being granted $150,000 for training, support, and program administration, which is expected to include developing emergency planning and safety-related guidance that can be used across the country.

In just the last few months, protests at drag brunches and drag story-time events across Canada have resulted in clashes between participants and protesters, some requiring police intervention, while other events have had to be cancelled or postponed due to security concerns sparked by violent threats.

In making this request to the federal government, Fierté Canada Pride cited several recent incidents, as well as the latest hate crimes report from Statistics Canada noting a 64 per cent increase in hate crimes targeting individuals over their sexual orientation between 2019 and 2021.