'Not From My Taxes': Canadians Question $3M Pride Funding Request Amid Cost of Living Pressure

Pride festivals are seeking millions in new taxpayer funding, but the request is already facing backlash from Canadians online. Executives from Pride Toronto, Fierté Montréal, and Vancouver Pride asked the federal government on 24 March for C$3 million ($2.2 million/£1.6 million) a year in new public funding, citing corporate sponsorship losses tied to a backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes, CBC News reported.

The total request, C$9 million ($6.5 million/£4.9 million) over three years, would support roughly 200 festivals dealing with rising artist fees, and logistics costs driven up by inflation and US tariffs. It is separate from the C$1.5 million ($1.1 million/£810,000) Ottawa already allocates annually for Pride security.

The request sits alongside existing federal commitments. Ottawa's 2022 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan committed C$100 million ($72.5 million/£54 million) over five years to community organisations, and Budget 2025 added C$54.6 million ($39.6 million/£29.5 million) over five years for LGBTQ+ community programmes, according to Canada.ca.

Taxpayers Challenge Pride Funding Request Online

A post by Facebook news page Khojipedia summarising the request drew hundreds of comments within hours. Bradley Smith's reply gathered more than 340 likes: 'Gofund. To make money for a cause by people in the cause, for the cause. Not taxpayers.'

Yuliya Giu's comment, 'Not from my taxes, no,' collected 318 reactions.

Maggie Joh wrote: 'I fully support Pride, but I do not agree with using tax dollars for it.' She suggested crowdfunding. 'Right now we need to be helping all Canadians with the cost of living.' Daniela Williams cited competing priorities: 'How about help our homeless population and our veterans!'

Other users raised similar concerns, pointing to rising living costs and competing public spending priorities.

Food prices in Canada are forecast to rise four to six per cent in 2026, according to Canada's Food Price Report by Dalhousie University, with a family of four projected to spend C$17,572 ($12,740/£9,520) on groceries this year. Food costs are 27 per cent higher than five years ago. Nearly 2.2 million visits to food banks were recorded in March 2025, the highest figure on record, according to Food Banks Canada.

The income gap between the country's highest and lowest earners reached a record in Q1 2025, Statistics Canada data showed.

Organisers Point to Pride Funding Shortfalls and Sponsor Losses

Pride Toronto faced a C$900,000 ($652,000/£488,000) shortfall ahead of its 2025 parade after Google, Home Depot, Nissan, and Clorox withdrew their backing. Insurance costs rose from C$59,000 to nearly C$300,000 ($217,000/£163,000) between 2019 and 2025, Xtra Magazine reported. Vancouver Pride lost nearly half its sponsors. Halifax Pride reported that longtime partners stepped away without explanation.

'They are not coming to the table at the level that they used to be,' said Joseph Hoang, a director with Vancouver Pride Society. 'This is why we are asking the federal government for this new funding," CBS wrote.

Pride Festivals Cite Billions in Economic Activity

The Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver festivals generate C$1.3 billion ($943 million/£705 million) in economic activity annually, organisers said. Smaller events add an estimated C$700 million ($507 million/£379 million) in GDP.

Kojo Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto, said businesses on the city's Church and Wellesley corridor take in more than half their annual revenue during festival week.

Julie Nobert-DeMarchi, who chairs Timmins Pride in northern Ontario, said smaller events run entirely on volunteers and double as year-round social services. 'We often see that that space is the first space that somebody ever feels safe in,' she said.

The federal government has not publicly responded to the request.

IBTimes UK has reached out to Kojo Modeste of Pride Toronto, Callie Metler of Fierté Capital Pride, and Julie Nobert-DeMarchi of Fierté Timmins Pride and is awaiting their comments on the public reaction. This article will be updated to reflect their views.