It’s one of the biggest events for the LGBTQ+ community in North America and for the past two years, it’s either been canceled or it’s been taking place on a reduced basis. This time, it was not the Covid that put a spoke in its wheels: the Montreal Pride parade could not be held for lack of personnel to supervise it. Despite the disappointment, hundreds of community members still marched through the streets.
With our correspondent in Montreal, Alexis Gacon
There was indeed a disparate atmosphere and parades in the streets of Montreal, but nothing to do with what the city was hoping for for this return of the Montreal Pride parade in full format.
Nearly 12,000 participants were expected, and 100,000 spectators, but four hours before it started, the organizers warned that it would not take place: the direction of the parade explains that it is a lack of manpower. work, whether employees or volunteers, that forced the organization to cancel the parade. According to them, 80 people were missing the same morning for the event to take place safely.
This morning we published an imprecise text. To clarify, the decision to cancel the Parade was made by Montreal Pride. The reason is the one communicated: a lack of personnel to ensure safety along the route. @SPVM was not involved in the decision.
— Pride MTL Pride (@FierteMTLPride) August 7, 2022
Soon a new event
” I was looking forward to going for a walk with all the Montrealers and those who come to see us. Disappointed, the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, demanded an explanation from the organizers: I won’t hide from you my surprise and my dissatisfaction to learn in the newspaper this morning that it didn’t take place, a few hours before the start. (…) There seem to have been decisions that were taken, but in any case, on our side, we were never informed. »
The parade organizers hope to be able to make up for this missed appointment with a new event in the coming weeks.