New Fredericton Pride interim board committed to festival and parade, says chair
Fredericton Pride's new interim board of directors is committed to ensuring the festival and parade proceed, according to the chair.
We "are focusing our efforts towards that goal," they said in an unsigned statement to CBC News Wednesday afternoon, declining an interview.
The interim board was appointed Monday and has "worked tirelessly to ensure the continuation of all planned events," according to a statement issued later in the day.
"Through the unwavering support of our partners, volunteers, and community members, we can proudly confirm that Fredericton Pride Week is not cancelled," the statement signed by Emmanuelle Jackson, Tooth Matchett, Sarah Osier, Anthea Plummer, Sarah Vela and Cheryl Watts said.
About a third of events have been salvaged so far, thanks to community members who stepped up after the previous Pride boarf, citing harassment, cancelled the 10-day festival just hours before it was supposed to start last Friday. The board at the time also announced some members were resigning.
The decision came after organizers abruptly cancelled a fundraiser drag show "due to unexpected safety concerns." The nature of the safety concerns was not specified by Pride organizers.
The board naming Fredericton Palestine Solidarity as the grand marshal of the Pride parade, and refusing to allow certain sponsors or participants, also sparked controversy in recent weeks.
Parade not listed yet on new Pride guide
ElderPride has published a new online Pride guide, which lists 19 events, as of Wednesday, including a family board game night with Imprint Youth, starting at 5 p.m.
Although a parade is not on the list, the parade will proceed as scheduled on Sunday at 3 p.m., rain or shine, with Fredericton Palestine Solidarity as the grand marshal, according to the interim board's statement.
"The City of Fredericton has confirmed that our parade application is in good standing and all required safety measures are in place," the statement said.
City spokesperson Liz Fraser told CBC News, "Staff are currently reviewing an application through the city's special events process."
She confirmed it was the original, previously approved application submitted by the former Pride board, but directed all other inquiries back to Pride.
The city's role is a "legal, bureaucratic" one, "whereby the City considers applications as related to road closures, traffic measures, permits, and any other operational impacts," she said in an emailed statement.
Community members say there will be a parade — or at least a march — on Sunday, no matter what.
"We're totally just assuming that like it's going to happen. ... The various permit uncertainties are just basically technicalities," said Arthur Taylor, director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Transgender Rights, who was among the first to offer through social media last week to help save the festival and suggested an interim board be created.
Within hours, they received about a dozen Facebook messages, 20 comments and several emails from people offering to help, said Taylor.
Arthur Taylor, director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Transgender Rights, said Fredericton Pride's board of directors couldn't hand over its festival materials to community members like them, according to its bylaws, so an interim Pride board has been formed. (Submitted by Arthur Taylor)
A few informal subcommittees were struck, based on people's skills and interests, and "the events through the week have come back together pretty well," they said.
"The biggest uncertainty was about the permit for the actual parade."
Monarch application dropped
Diane Wilson, owner of Monarch Night Club, who had scrambled to apply to the city last Friday to organize the parade to ensure the event proceeded, has dropped her application.
Pride's interim board is taking over parade planning, she told CBC. "My application wasn't needed as the parade hadn't yet officially been cancelled so it was still in the pride board's name."
Diane Wilson, owner of Monarch, said it's been empowering to see the way the community stepped up and worked together to keep the spirit of Pride alive. (Griffin Jaeger/CBC)
Wilson could not say whether the interim board is proceeding with the previous board's parade application, which had already been approved by the city.
With Sunday quickly approaching, if the parade application isn't approved soon, or at all, both Taylor and Wilson said the community is committed to proceeding with a march.
Corey Furlotte has created a Pride march Facebook event for the same day and time as the parade as a "backup plan."
With a march, participants would be limited to the sidewalks and police presence won't be guaranteed, said Taylor.
Meanwhile, there could be a "mini Pride" in August for those performers and vendors whose events were cancelled, according to Taylor. It's tentatively being dubbed Pride Plus, they said.