It is the former chairman of the board of directors of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Philippe Schnobb, who will be responsible for leading the independent investigation into Pride Montreal, in the wake of the surprise and strongly denounced cancellation. of the parade last Sunday. The City says first and foremost that it wants to “restore public confidence in the organization”.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
“I begin this mission with diligence and sensitivity. I have at heart the success of the next editions of this essential event for the community and the City of Montreal. The analysis that I will carry out, in collaboration with the board of directors of Pride Montreal, will make it possible to solidify the governance of this organization and to restore the confidence of the public, ”explained the main interested party in a statement on Friday.
His appointment was officially endorsed by the Montreal Pride Board of Directors on Thursday evening. Mr. Schnobb, who will work on a voluntary basis, says he hopes that the recommendations that will eventually emerge from his work “contribute to the success and sustainability of Montreal Pride’s mission”.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Philippe Schnobb
Over the past few days, the surprise cancellation of the metropolitan parade has been denounced by several members of the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom are calling for a review of the organization of this flagship event. Michel Dorion, well-known personality of the Gay Village and ex-responsible for the Montreal Pride parade, spoke in particular of a “serious fault” of the organization, calling for “serious reflection within the management team and also within the AC. Several other alumni of the organization have also denounced the situation.
The Press reported on Monday that a simple oversight on the part of Montreal Pride had led to the cancellation of the parade. The director general of the organization, Simon Gamache, had indicated that certain employees had to hire about 100 paid reception agents for the holding of the event, but that this had not been done. Online, a petition calling for the resignation of Simon Gamache appeared earlier this week, shortly after these revelations.
Expertise considered central
For the Plante administration, Philippe Schnobb’s expertise in governance will be central during the investigation. Since leaving the STM in September 2021 – he was Chairman of the Board of Directors for more than eight years – Mr. Schnobb has chaired the governance committee of Fondation Émergence, an organization whose mission is to fight against homophobia. and transphobia. Last year, he also completed a certificate in corporate governance at the College of Corporate Directors.
“It was essential for us to ensure that mechanisms are quickly put in place, in order to shed light on this cancellation and more broadly, to ensure the success of the next editions of the parade,” the mayor also indicated on Friday. of Montreal, Valérie Plante, when called upon to respond.
At Pride Montreal, the chairman of the board of directors, Moe Hamandi, said he was “determined to rebuild the confidence of the population and the entire community”, adding that his team “continues its internal post-mortem” and will offer ” his full cooperation with Mr. Schnobb”.
“The analysis will be conducted with the full cooperation of the Board of Directors and will shed light on the chain of events and the governance structures that may have led to the cancellation of the parade. Recommendations will be formulated and submitted to the organization in the coming months,” the City of Montreal also specified in a press release.
According to our information, the $600,000 invested by the municipal administration in the Montréal Pride festivities was largely used by the organization, which nevertheless held several activities throughout the past week. Sources, however, indicated that a final installment was yet to be made. It corresponds to approximately 10% of this amount, or $60,000.
In theory, this amount should be used for the independent investigation. It is the general controller of the City, Alain Bond, who will determine how, where and why the said sum will be used, together with Philippe Schnobb.
With Vincent Larin