Event organizers tweeted shortly after 9am that due to a “lack of sufficient staff to ensure safety along the route” the parade was cancelled.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said at a press conference that she was disappointed and disappointed.
“I found out it was canceled like everyone else,” he said. “I don’t understand that within five minutes, it was cancelled. I don’t understand how we got to this situation. I’m not happy. I’m disappointed.”
Plante has walked in past Pride parades and planned to participate in Sunday’s event.
“If we knew there was a shortage of staff, or even anything else, we would have put the energy into it,” Plante said.
Celeste Trianon organized Saturday’s Montreal Trans March and said she was “further disappointed” that Pride Montreal’s signature event was canceled without notice.
“I didn’t expect the trans march to become the only pride march in the Montreal area,” Trianon said. “It was completely opaque on their part. If they had put out a public call for volunteers, it might have gone better.”
Trianon said Saturday’s march saw record numbers turn up to take part in the event and many more were expected for Sunday’s parade.
Montreal Pride added in the tweet that celebrations will continue at Olympic Park at 2pm on Sunday, an hour after the parade was scheduled to start.
Pop-up parties sprung up along Ste. Catherine St. for those who still want to celebrate.
Parade organizer Simon Gamache told The Canadian Press they were short about 80 volunteers on Sunday and about 200 are needed to hold a safe event.
He added that COVID-19 infections and heat-related illnesses may have played a role in volunteers canceling at the last minute.
𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐭té 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐫𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐧𝐭𝐭𝐨: A lack of sufficient personnel to ensure security along the route has forced the organizers to cancel the event in agreement with the SPVM. Join us on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park from 14:00
— Fierté MTL Pride (@FierteMTLPride) August 7, 2022
The 2.9 kilometer parade along Avenue Rene-Levesque. in Montreal’s downtown core was set to host the first full parade since 2019.
The Montreal Pride Parade route on Sunday at 1 p.m
Last year, a smaller celebration was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The celebration of LGBTQ2S+ life and culture is one of the most popular in North America and usually attracts thousands of attendees, celebrities and politicians.
The City of Montreal set up what was supposed to be its parade in Dorchester Square with a DJ, entertaining the disappointed parade crowd.
The City of Montreal parade has set up in Dorchester Square and is playing music after the pride parade was cancelled.
With files from The Canadian Press.
