The Ottawa Fringe Festival is apologizing for the way it handled reports that someone slipped drugs into two people's drinks during the final weekend of the arts event last month.

In a statement issued Monday, festival organizers said they reported the incident to police as soon as they learned about it. However, they didn't comment publicly until Monday.

"We sincerely apologize if our handling of the issue to date has caused any mistrust and disappointment in the community," said the statement, signed by the festival's board and staff.

"We understand that it may take some time to earn back your trust. We are reviewing our policies and carefully considering our incident response going forward."

The festival, which ran from June 13 to 23 in various sites around downtown Ottawa, said the incident happened in a festival tent.

It did not share any further details, and it's not known whether the individuals targeted consumed the drugged drinks.

Ottawa police confirmed Monday that an investigation is ongoing, but didn't provide further information.

The Ottawa Fringe Festival refused an interview request from CBC News about the incident, but in an emailed statement said it takes the safety of its artists and patrons "very seriously," and "we continue to work towards providing the most inclusive and safe environment for our community and will continue to regularly review our existing safety policies."