​Fierté Canada Pride's Statement on Federal Budget 2019

​The following communication was provided by Fierté Canada Pride, of which Fierté Simcoe Pride is a member organization.

---

​Fierté Canada Pride's Statement on Federal Budget 2019

March 19, 2019

The Board of Directors of Fierté Canada Pride, the national association of Pride organizations, issued the following statement after the release of the Government of Canada’s 2019 Federal Budget:

We are pleased to see a significant investment in a number of initiatives that will directly benefit LGBTQ2 Canadians and our cultural and community organizations.”

Pride festivals and LGBTQ2 community organizations have long been underfunded and today’s budget begins to address some of these issues. An investment of $24m over two years in the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program and the Celebration and Commemoration Program at Canadian Heritage will be welcome news to Pride organizations with growing festivals
from coast to coast to coast.

In addition, a new $20m fund for LGBTQ2 community organizations is also welcome. This is the first time in Canadian history that a dedicated fund for our communities has been created to support the development our civil society organizations working across the country to address issues of discrimination, justice and inequality.

We also welcome that LGBTQ2 communities will be one of the five priorities of Canada’s new tourism strategy. LGBTQ2 people are one of the fastest national and international tourism markets and Pride organizations are poised to work closely with our partners in the tourism industry to ensure that this this new strategy is implemented and Canadian towns and cities can benefit from this tourism.

Today’s announcement that the funding for the federal LGBTQ2 Secretariat will continue is also very welcome. The Secretariat provides a valuable service to LGBTQ2 Canadians to ensure that LGBTQ2-specific issues and concerns are raised in the federal government and the public service.

The significance of Pride festivals has grown in recent years in communities across Canada. Over 125 Pride festivals take place across Canada in every province and territory, and we estimate that in 2018 over 6 million Canadians took part in some way in a Pride event. Pride is an important part of demonstrating that all of our citizens are welcome and accepted, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Increasingly, Prides are also an important part of our local communities in generating millions of dollars of economic activity, supporting local artists, and driving tourism in many parts of the country.

Board of Directors
Fierté Canada Pride

- 30 -
​

Heather Hay
President of FSP
heather.hay@fiertecanadapride.org

​Doug Kerr
Vice President of FCP
​doug.kerr@fiertecanadapride.org​

Cette déclaration est disponible en français sur www.fiertesimcoe.com/nouvelles/declaration-de-fierte-canada-pride-sur-le-budget-federal-2019.