Ottawa’s Capital Pride announced today via Facebook that it has declared bankruptcy, raising doubts about whether next year’s celebration will happen.
This announcement comes before what would have been the festival’s 30th anniversary next year.
“The Board of Directors has been working very hard for the last two months to find a viable solution to enable Capital Pride to continue its operations for the sake of the Pride movement,” the statement said.
The organization reviewed its finances in September after it found “accounting irregularities” after two sponsors and a DJ claimed their paycheques had bounced.
Since 2013, the Pride parade has been held on Bank Street.
Christine Leadman, executive director for Bank Street Business Improvement Area, said that while Capital Pride’s financial situation is “unfortunate,” she is hopeful that the organization will receive much needed support.
“I believe that there’s a strong LGBTQ community base in time for the 2015 30th anniversary,” said Leadman. “We’re hoping that it comes back in some form.”
The final annual general meeting will be on Nov. 5 at City Hall, with much of the focus going toward discussing the future of Capital Pride.