Canadian LGBTQ2S+ Pride events get $1.5 MILLION for increased security from Trudeau government

The federal government is set to provide $1.5 million in funding to help ramp up security at Pride events across Canada. LGBTQ advocacy organization Fierté Canada Pride will receive the funds, and distribute them as needed to local event organizers who apply for assistance.

The move, which is in line with the Trudeau Liberals' LGBTQ2S+ Action Plan, comes events in many of the nation's largest cities struggle to keep pace with growing crowd sizes and potential threats.



According to CTV News, while Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien is expected to reveal the details of the plan later today, sources say funding will be broken down into categories based on size.

The nation's largest Pride events, which take place in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, will be allocated a combined $750,000, while smaller festivals will share $600,000. The remaining $150,000 will be set aside for training and support at Fierté Canada Pride itself.

Funding will be used to pay for barricades and fencing, police and private security, crowd control, safety gear, training for staff and volunteers, among other things.

Pride Toronto recently announced that it would likely have to cut some of the planned festivities as a result of the increased costs.

In an interview with the CBC, Pride executive director Sherwin Modeste called the price hikes "ridiculous," and noted that the group was "having conversations with all three levels of government to help to absorb some of those costs."

As CTV News reports, the request for "emergency funding" was first made by Fierté Canada Pride in May.

"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," the group claimed in its request, urging the federal government to step up and provide extra funding.