Fatigue and work overload, labor shortages, communication errors: the surprise cancellation of the Montreal Pride parade this summer is largely due to a lack of internal organization, concludes a report independent investigation. It is also recommended that the organization adopt an “emergency measures plan” to prevent the situation from happening again.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
“It’s clear that this parade should not have been canceled”, immediately explains to The Press Philippe Schnobb, former chairman of the board of directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), who was responsible for conducting the independent investigation. “It was an event that could very well have been controlled. We could have resolved the situation if we had been able to sit down and think calmly for half an hour, ”he says.
The cancellation of the parade in August caused several negative reactions in Montreal. Former members of the management and the community have called for a review of the organization of this flagship event. At the last minute, spontaneous marches were organized on the day of the parade. “There are people who were sleeping on the switch. […] We must have more answers”, had notably claimed Michel Dorion, well-known personality of the Gay Village and ex-responsible for the Montreal Pride parade, speaking of a “serious fault”.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Philippe Schnobb
Mr. Schnobb attributes the situation to several “miscommunications” committed the same day, which occurred due to an overload of work and the shortage of personnel “which affected all the major festivals in Canada this summer”.
Essentially, “if we had recruited 96 reception officers, there would have been only 15 people missing to provide security,” he says. The confusion over hiring – Montreal Pride actually forgot to hire these agents – probably stems from the fact that “agents can have two functions that have the same title, some being paid and others volunteers, which seems to have created a lot of confusion.
No direct manager, but a governance issue
Who is ultimately responsible? “The mystery remains intact”, admits the independent investigator. ” Who turned off the light ? We do not know. The light has been extinguished, but it remains a mystery. I can’t come to any other conclusions that it’s a misunderstanding, which is very unfortunate. But no one wanted this oversight to fall into a crack on purpose,” notes Philippe Schnobb.
“When the general manager [Simon Gamache] arrived at the office a little before 9am that morning, there were already media alerts that said it was cancelled, and traffic had already resumed. He had not even made a decision yet, ”he also raises, referring to possible “leaks” which should not have happened.
In his report, Mr. Schnobb recommends “providing the organization with a contingency plan for all activities related to the parade”, and organizing “a training activity to ensure understanding of the plan”. He also suggests training in “crisis management” for employees, in addition to “now providing that all personnel required to supervise the security of the parade will be paid”.
“Professionalizing” Montreal Pride
In terms of governance, Pride Montreal will also have a long way to go to become “professional”, admits the investigator. “Their governance structure is quite unique; we are talking about a general assembly which is made up of the board, and which makes all the decisions. They would do well to open up the governance a bit. And that is in their hands. I’m talking about rebuilding, because for me, it’s the right thing to do to regain the trust of the community and partners,” he recalls.
In his report, Philippe Schnobb also recommends hiring governance consultants. He acknowledges, however, that the departure of two founding members, including former president Éric Pineault who was ousted in 2020 after allegations of sexual misconduct, “has created instability that the board of directors and the current general management are trying to to curb “.
“It seems important to me to put an end to the references to old and new. I have been impressed by the quick-wittedness of the people I have met over the past few weeks. The team should unite by meeting together the challenges that come their way rather than dwelling on the past,” he concludes.
In a statement, Mayor Valérie Plante said Wednesday that she was convinced that the investigation “will help restore public confidence” in Montreal Pride. General Manager Simon Gamache is determined to “rebuild and solidify the bonds of trust with our communities”. The chairman of the board of directors, Moe Hamandi, also confirmed on Wednesday that “several projects” have already been initiated internally, following the recommendations.