EDMONTON—The 2019 Edmonton Pride Festival has been cancelled.

An email sent from the festival’s board of directors to groups involved in this year’s event, obtained by the Star, says “in light of the current political and social environment, it has been determined that any attempt to host a festival will not be successful.”

“It has always been the goal of the Edmonton Pride Festival Society to host a safe and enjoyable event that is as reflective and encompassing of the entire community as possible; however, given current events, we do not feel that this is attainable for this year.”

The email goes on to thank everyone who supports the Edmonton Pride Festival Society and reminded readers that there are other Pride events going on in June. It promises to return funds to those who’d already paid into the event within 30 days.

“Should you still desire to still sponsor Pride events, we would be happy to help connect you with these groups,” the email continues.

Read more: Consultation underway to determine whether Edmonton Pride Festival Society will allow uniformed police in parade

The festival was due to begin with a rainbow flag-raising on June 6, with the Pride parade itself on June 8, and a Pride run and walk on June 15. Edmonton’s Pride Festival started in the 1980s as a march down Whyte Ave., inspired in part by a police raid against Pisces Health Spa, a queer bathhouse in the city. It is now among the five biggest Pride festivals held in Canada.

Multiple calls and messages to the Edmonton Pride Festival on Wednesday afternoon went unanswered.

The Edmonton Pride Festival faced difficulties last year when its parade was halted by protesters — primarily members of the Black, Latino, and Indigenous LGBTQ community. They made a series of demands of festival organizers, including that all police and military personnel be prevented from marching in future parades.

The protesters then said their demands were satisfied after they met with organizers over a blockade on the parade route at Whyte Ave. and 104 St.

Shades of Colour YEG, one of the groups involved in last year’s protest, had been meeting with community liaisons from the Edmonton Pride Festival over their continued concerns. These included re-organizing Pride’s structure, reworking the festival’s budget and providing additional funds to the LGBTQ community of colour.

But Victoria Guzman, an organizer with the group, said they’d been making headway in their discussions.

“We never, ever, ever asked them to cancel. We’re shocked,” they said.

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The specifics behind the Edmonton Pride Festival’s cancellation still aren’t clear. But Rob Browatzke, co-owner of Evolution Wonderlounge – the city’s most prominent LGBTQ bar – described it as a bombshell.

However, he isn’t entirely convinced there won’t be a parade. In March of 2002, Edmonton’s Pride parade was cancelled after its board imploded. But Browatzke said others stepped up to the plate and the show went on. Evolution intends to carry on with the 10 days of events it has planned for the Pride festival, regardless of what happens.

“We are still going ahead with all of them, including our street party community festival, the day of the parade,” he said. “And we have no plans to change any of that. We will continue to try to be a safe, inclusive space for everybody…we’ll just keep going, business as usual.”

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