Vancouver’s Pride Society has become the latest festival feeling the pinch, but Vancouver City Council has approved funding to ensure this summer’s Pride Parade goes on as scheduled.
One of our city’s most colourful celebrations will march on this August after all.
Vancouver City Council voted unanimously Wednesday in favour of providing a one-time $75,000 funding grant to support the 2026 Pride Parade.
The event, which celebrates Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQ+ community, is scheduled for Aug. 2, but organizers say corporate sponsors have been harder to come by in recent years.
“We’re less than seven weeks out from Pride. And guess what?” said John Boychuck, Vancouver Pride Society co-chair.
“We’re not even going to hit $350,000 in cash sponsorship.”
That number was nearly $1 million just four years ago. Boychuk says a pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies has caused nearly two-thirds of their corporate sponsorship dollars to evaporate.
“Nobody’s interested, which is the first time in a decade that we’ve seen this level of clawback,” he said.
“Which really makes us have to sit down, sharpen our pencil, and at the end of the day, pray that we’re able to put on a great festival and season.”
Earlier in the year, council approved $30,000 in funds to keep Car Free Days alive. As well, it approved a $2 million fireworks show to replace the cancelled Celebration of Lights.
Stephen Menon, a member of the City of Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQ+ advisory committee, spoke in support of the motion Wednesday. He says the parade is more than just a celebration of the community — it is also an economic driver, with last year’s festival generating $30 million.
“I think it really shows a testament to the city’s key differentiator of being a really inclusive and welcoming place,” Menon said.
“It’s estimated over a billion dollars of economic value was created for Pride festivals across Canada. So for me, and as I said, Pride really represents an economic opportunity for across Canada, is one thing that sets Canada apart from other nations, and sets Vancouver apart from other cities.”
City staff is expected to report back to council later this year on creating a festival support fund that would address the long-term sustainability of large events in the city.