Soaring policing, insurance costs force Pride Toronto to consider cuts to festival: organizers

The head of Pride Toronto says the group may need to cut programming at this year's festival as it wrestles with major cost increases for policing and insurance just weeks ahead of the event.

The head of Pride Toronto says the group may need to cut programming at this year's festival as it wrestles with major cost increases for policing and insurance just weeks ahead of the event.

Pride Executive Director Sherwin Modeste said the organization has seen a 300 per cent increase in its insurance premiums and 150 per cent jump to the cost of paid duty police officers. He says the event's footprint has grown, but cites safety concerns surrounding large public festivals and the 2SLGBTQI+ community as contributing factors to the hike.

Modeste said costs for insurance ran the group $60,000 for 2022 but their rates this year are up to $278,000. Toronto Police gave a similar estimate of $62,000 for paid duty officers at last year's festival.  This year, the cost is up to $168,000.

TPS says in an invoice it needs 90 officers  -— up from 78 the year before — for a total number of 1,400 working hours, up from 500 the year before.