‘Our festival will go on,’ says executive director, as Google, Home Depot drop Pride Toronto sponsorship

Two more major corporate sponsors have pulled their funding for Pride Toronto. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj)

Pride Toronto has faced another setback, losing two more major corporate sponsors — Google and Home Depot — just days before Pride Month begins, its executive director Kojo Modeste told CP24 on Saturday afternoon.

This recent news follows a number of other corporate sponsorship losses and/or funding reductions Pride Toronto experienced in recent months.

• Changes coming to 2025 Pride Toronto festival amid rising costs, sponsorship uncertainties

The non-profit in charge of the 2SLGBTQ+ festival is facing a shortfall of around $700,000 as a result of all the most recent withdrawals, Modeste said, adding that organizers are urgently working to address this unforeseen challenge.

“Every dollar lost directly affects the programming we can offer. This includes our ability to hire artists, build accessible and safe stages, and create space for meaningful representation of 2SLGBTQI+ voices, particularly those from equity-deserving communities.” he said.

Loss of funding a ‘wake-up call’ for Pride Toronto, says executive director

Calling these losses of support “an unfortunate development that compounds an already challenging year for us” and a “wake-up call,” Modeste said they first heard about Google’s withdrawal on May 1, while Home Depot’s decision was disclosed to them last Wednesday.

No reasons were provided for the termination of sponsorships by either company, he added.

“They both agreed that they were going to be part of the festival this year. They gave us a verbal commitment. In one case, they gave us a written commitment,” said Modeste.

“It was not a signed contract. So, it was very unfortunate to lose both these sponsors.”

Pride Toronto has numerous contracts with artists and vendors from across Canada, so there won’t be any major changes in the planning of the 2025 festival, he noted, but things could look very different by next year, if this trend continues.

“We do hope that we’re going to be able to recover from the loss that we currently have,” Modeste said, attributing these changes to the influence of the political climate in the U.S. and the direction taken by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Pride Toronto has been in other hard positions in the past, and they recover. And I can assure you, I want folks to know that they’re coming and should expect nothing but the best from Pride Toronto.”

In a written statement provided to CP24, Modeste added that the individuals and institutions they “believed were committed allies to our community have shown themselves to be, at least in part, swayed by external political pressures.”

“That’s deeply disappointing; not just for our organization, but for the communities we serve,” he said.

“More than anything, this moment underscores the importance of values-based leadership. Pride has never been easy or convenient; it is about visibility, equity, and justice - even when it’s politically unpopular. We remain committed to those principles. And we’re calling on partners, new and longstanding, to show that their support is not conditional.”

Home Depot provided a written statement to CP24 indicating that it works with an “extensive network of nonprofits made up of thousands of local and national organizations to amplify our support to the communities we serve.”

“We continually review our nonprofit giving and decided not to contribute to this event this year with no agreement in place to do so,” the company said.

“We continue to participate in Pride activities throughout Canada and look forward to working with Toronto Pride on future opportunities.”

Google, however, has not responded to CTV News’ request for comment.

Merck Canada, which has reduced its funding for this year’s festival, said it is “dedicated to fostering belonging and empowerment, and supporting 2SLGBTQI+ communities is an important focus of this commitment.”

“We are proud to continue our support for 2SLGBTQI+ organizations across Canada with a particular focus on Montreal, where our headquarters and most of our employees are located, to create a positive impact and facilitate participation to key community events,” a spokesperson wrote to CP24.

“We cannot comment on the support provided to Pride Toronto, as discussions with the organization are still ongoing.”

Toronto stepped up with extra support for Pride Toronto amid loss of sponsorship

The City of Toronto, in a written statement, reiterated that in 2025 it is providing $350,000 to Pride Toronto through the Cultural Festivals Funding Program (CFFP), which it said “represents an increase of $90,000 or approximately 35 per cent from Pride’s 2024 CFFP grant of $260,000.”

Spokesperson Imane Boussaid added that Pride Toronto will be eligible to apply for the Special Events Stabilization Initiative (SESI) , which she noted offers funding to festivals and event organizers for safety, security and production expenses.

“The City recently announced that the budget for SESI would be increased by $750,000 to a total of $2.1 million in 2025, recognizing the need for greater levels of support to ensure the safe delivery of festivals and events,” it said.

Applications for this grant open in mid-Jun.

“Beyond direct funding, the City continues to support the safe planning and execution of the festival through City staff assistance and in-kind services. Staff are already working closely with Pride Toronto to plan for a successful 2025 event,” Boussaid wrote.

“[We remain] committed to advocating for increased support for festivals from the private sector and from other government partners, recognizing that the majority of tax revenues generated by events accrue to the provincial and federal governments.”

Pride Toronto will host activities beginning June 1. Pride Month officially launches in Toronto on Monday with a flag-raising at Toronto City Hall at 5 p.m.

“Our festival will go on. It may look different in some ways, but its spirit remains rooted in resilience, fuelled by the community we serve,” Modeste assured, thanking sponsors who “continue to stand by us - our evergreen partners, who show up year after year with truly meaningful commitment.”

He also thanked new sponsors who have stepped up duing the festival’s time of need, notably The Ballroom Bowl, Freddie, SEIU, UBC Built, and Academy of Learning.

“Their solidarity affirms that our work matters, and that the community will not be left behind,” Modeste said.