Montreal's Pride Parade Won't Be Taking Place This Year After All

Montreal's Pride parade is no longer happening this year. Organizers say a lack of volunteers on Sunday morning left them with too few people to station at intersections along the parade route to ensure safety.

"Security comes before everything else, so we had to cancel," Fierté Montréal spokesperson Nathalie Roy told MTL Blog.

With so many attendees showing up for the event and not enough people to direct them, it could have turned into a disaster if something did go wrong, she said.

While there were no direct threats to the event, organizers called off the parade as a precaution. They made the decision after speaking with Montreal police.

The Pride parade was scheduled for 1 p.m. on August 7 and would have marked the event's return after pandemic restrictions prevented large gatherings last year.

Mayor Valerie Plante expressed her frustration about the cancellation of the event on Twitter.

"Like you, I am extremely disappointed to learn of the last-minute cancellation of the Pride parade. I was very much looking forward to meeting you. Despite this, let us continue to celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities every day and highlight their struggles," she wrote.

"I invite you all to continue the celebrations by visiting the Village and meeting me at the Olympic Stadium Esplanade this evening. Montreal, an open and inclusive city, will continue to vibe to the rhythm of Pride!"

Other events scheduled at the Olympic Park Esplanade for 2 p.m., like the T-Dance and closing performance with drag queen Pabllo Vittar, will take place as planned.