Bomb threat necessitated visible police security at Edmonton Pride Parade: organizers

The Edmonton Police Service says a serious threat was the reason for an increased presence of officers at this year's Pride parade. Curtis Goodrum reports.

Edmonton Pride Parade executive director Trevor Watson says a bomb threat contributed to the decision to have police at the march Saturday.

“That information required us to make difficult decisions,” Watson told reporters on Tuesday. “Working with our safety partners, additional precautions were put in place to protect the people who would gather and march through Edmonton’s downtown public streets.”

He reiterated, however, that the threat did not translate to an increase in the number of officers deployed during the festivities.

Officers were stationed at roadblocks around Saturday’s downtown route. Watson had previously told media that their presence was part of its overall safety plan, which included sweeps, road closures and private security.

“What changed was the nature and visibility of some of the safety measures being taken, and that distinction matters.”

• Pride parade attracts thousands to downtown Edmonton amid some groups’ boycotts

Several LGBTQ2S+ communities publicly condemned the Edmonton Pride Parade and Trans March’s inclusion of EPS officers, citing a history of systemic oppression involving police.

Watson acknowledged at the time the measures could cause those who had been harmed by policing “fear, anxiety or distress.” He apologized on Tuesday to those who felt “unwelcome.”

“The very people we were trying to protect should never have been left wondering whether we were protecting them. If our communication failed you, we are sorry. If our words caused you pain, we ask for your forgiveness, and we will learn from it.”

He said organizers wrestled with whether attendees should be made aware of the bomb threat beforehand.

“We had to ask ourselves a very simple question, and that is: Would publicly disclosing the threat make our community safer? At the time, we did not believe that it would.”

Edmonton Police Service (EPS) began investigating the threat several weeks ago and “ultimately determined it was not credible,” deputy chief Nicole Chapdelaine said.

Watson said the parade was very close to being cancelled due to the threat, but ultimately decided to perservere because ‘we cannot teach them that all it takes to erase queer joy is a phone call."

The head of the Edmonton Pride Fest Association now says he will have mediation discussions this fall with Black and Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) as well as LGBTQ2S+ communities to better communicate ahead of future Pride events.

“Mediation cannot be where this conversation ends. We believe in public transparency. We believe in public accountability,” Watson added.

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack says he hopes to be a part of those talks when they happen in order to balance the legal requirement of police presence versus community comfort.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum