Pride Toronto’s $900K shortfall sparks NDP call for ‘stable’ and ‘predictable’ funding

Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam pictured alongside an image from Pride Toronto parade in 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young.)

With Pride Toronto facing a $900,000 deficit and warning next year’s event could look drastically different, Ontario’s New Democrats are urging the province to step up their financial commitment.

“The provincial government has largely left arts and culture funding the same since 2009,” Toronto Centre MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam, told CTV News Toronto. “It hasn’t kept up with the rate of inflation and any funding that the government says that they have infused is largely related to COVID activity, which was one-time funding.”

The Ontario NDP says it has introduced a motion in legislature that calls for “stable” and “predictable” funding for major cultural events such as Pride Toronto, which they say generates enormous economic returns.

While Pride Toronto has dominated headlines in recent weeks, Wong-Tam says it’s part of a wider crisis stemming from over a decade of flat funding for Ontario’s $26-billion arts and culture sector, which employs 270,000 people.

“Organizations like Pride Toronto, plus all the other major festivals in Ontario, have been struggling to gain access to provincial funding,” they said. “What that means is that they are so much more reliant on corporate partnerships and what we’ve seen is that corporate partnerships can be fickle.”

‘Not asking for a handout’

In a press conference held last week, Pride Toronto Executive Director Kojo Modeste confirmed major sponsors such as Google, Home Depot, Nissan and Clorox have withdrawn their support — some of whom, he says, already committed to participate in this year’s events.

He says the loss, combined with soaring costs and security expenses, pushed the festival’s projected shortfall to nearly $1 million, straining their $5-million budget.

“We are not asking for a handout; we are asking for our fair share of the pie,” Modeste said, noting that Pride generates $200 million in taxable revenue. “As we face our current challenge, we’re not asking for much, we’re asking for less than one per cent of the taxable revenue we bring in annually.”

Some governments have already answered the call.

The City of Toronto increased its annual funding by 35 per cent to $350,000 this year. However, Modeste said there’s been little movement from Queen’s Park or Ottawa.

Insurance costs alone have jumped nearly 200 per cent since 2022, and Modeste told CTV that they now spend over $425,000 on security annually.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming wrote to CTV News Toronto suggesting that they have already provided funding to Pride Toronto this year.

“This year our government is providing Pride Toronto with over $450,000 including advertising space and sponsorships, which includes $335,000 in direct grant funding from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming – part of the over $1.9 million we have provided directly to the organization since 2018," they wrote in an email.

“In addition to funding for Pride Toronto, our government provides support to eight other 2SLGBTQIA+ events across the province.”

More than just emergency relief

The motion introduced by the NDP is about more than just emergency relief, Wong-Tam explains — it’s about rethinking how Ontario supports a major employer and economic driver.

“Whether it’s through the collection of tax revenues or the employment of people, arts and culture does a lot to hit above its weight, to foster tourism and to promote social cohesion and the economy.”

Wong-Tam added that festivals like Pride not only activate public space but also contribute to Ontario’s brand as a vibrant, inclusive destination — something that both the Conservative and previous Liberal governments haven’t made a priority.

“I would say that the Government of Ontario has very little relationship with a juggernaut like Pride Toronto,” they said.

According to Ontario Art Council, their share of government’s budget stands at just $60 million, adding that “OAC’s base budget has been mostly at this level since 2009.”

‘Perfect time for Canadian corporations’

Without stable government backing, Wong-Tam warns Ontario risks undermining years of both cultural and economic progress.

“Would you rather reduce the GDP by $26 billion annually? Would you rather see the unemployment lines go up?” they said. “If their answer is yes, then they’re not civic-minded people.”

Wong-Tam points to Quebec as a model, where provincial funding is more robust and integrated into long-term cultural planning.

“Can you imagine what we would have in Toronto and Ontario if governments stepped up with a strategic plan to infuse money into these festivals that hire hundreds of thousands of people in Ontario?”

For now, the motion has not been scheduled for debate. But Wong-Tam said the urgency is growing.

“This is the perfect time for Canadian corporations to step up if they can,” they said.