NWT Pride has a $5,000 hole in their funding pool for this year, following a decision by the city to deny a grant request on the basis of insufficient financial information.
In past years, NWT Pride has received grants without full financial information, proof of good standing with Registrar of Societies and a signed copy of their last AGM financial report.
That leeway wasn't granted this year, and the new NWT Pride Board is starting from square one in the absence of “good bookkeeping” information from past boards, said NWT Pride president Les Champs.
However, the grant funding policy is “clear,” stated city communications director Richard McIntosh in an email.
“To be eligible to receive funding, organizations must submit all the information that is requested in the application," he stated.
In 2016, NWT Pride submitted an application and were required to provide all the relevant information to meet the criteria.
NWT Pride did not make a submission for grant funding in 2017.
“The city is open to speaking with representatives from NWT Pride about this year's event,” said McIntosh.
Champs said while the city has its established rules, it set a precedent in past years where it would issue funding.
“This is a two-way street and people were nice enough to just help us out,” said Champs. “Things change and we have a society where we have to play along by the rules.”
“Because of lack of proper book keeping and administration — and I don't like to trash the previous boards because they've done a lot of good work — we are reaping what has happened,” said Champs.
With only months to go, NWT Pride is scrambling for federal money and private sponsorship to make sure it has the money necessary to put on its many events.
The organization puts on events throughout the year, including a large festival in August every year in Yellowknife and an event in Hay River.
“It is a celebration of the queer and trans community. It's also an opportunity for us to showcase that we're here, we're proud to be who we are and it's OK to be who you are” said Champs.
The cost of running Pride isn't small change, said Champs. The price tag for running Pride and bringing performers into the city is upwards of $100,000.
“Our goal is to always showcase queer and trans and northern artists to get people in there but its also a celebration of the queer and trans community,” said Champs.
Pride itself is not bound for cancellation, said Champs, adding that the organization will continue to put on smaller events throughout the year.
“In the mean term I am willing to accept donations from any person, or organization or any corporation. I will accept money from anyone to help us have our festival,” Champs said.
NWT Pride submitted an almost “carbon-copy” of its past year's successful applications, said NWT Pride vice-president Lisa Vanterve.
“Now we have to rework our model. We're going to have to look more to corporate sponsorship. (...) If we go corporate then it becomes more of a corporate pride. Pride is still pride and I don't want to have to plaster corporate sponsors on everything."
The money provided by the city has, in past years, been earmarked and spent on city-related expenses, she said.
“It seems like a trivial amount of money for someone else but it's a huge thing for us.”
For some folks, Pride is the “only safe space” for queer and trans people in the city, said Vanterve, adding that a Pride parade in a different city was the first time she felt safe holding another woman's hand in public.
“Pride is so important to me because I came out at pride time in my own city,” she said.
“We're disheartened because it limits our ability to know if next year if we can go forward to make it bigger,” she said. “You eventually want your city to be a big part of that and we want to make this a major community event that becomes a tourism event.”
“Pride is really important to give a face to a marginalized community,” said Vanterve. “We're still learning how to be inclusive and its so important because it creates those dialogues, those bonds and those relationships.”