NEW🧵: @PrideToronto exploited Cree artist Kent Monkman's name on yet another federal grant.
This $1million @FedDevOntario grant was not included in Pride Toronto's apology and KPMG review earlier this year, current leadership must be held accountable for this cover up. 1/7
Since 2019, this is the third federal grant that @PrideToronto used Kent Monkman's name without permission.
This is the fourth federal grant where Pride Toronto promised benefits for Indigenous artists and communities that were never delivered. This now totals $2,850,000. 2/7
The grant required that @PrideToronto submit authorization from the Board of Directors, this enabled staff to administer the project funds.
Pride Toronto submitted to @FedDevOntario forged signatures of the Board. Christin Milloy's name is misspelled in text and signature 3/7
With the forged signatures submitted to @FedDevOntario, the cash could start flowing. @PrideToronto immediately used these funds to pay staff salaries and other contractor wages.
The first grant cheque was for $292,215 - all of this went to pay wages. 4/7
Pride Toronto would later claim that COVID-19 prevented @PrideToronto from delivering on the @FedDevOntario grant. However, documents show that projects due before the pandemic had barely started. 5/7
Earlier this year, @PrideToronto published a review by KPMG into federal grants.
This $1,000,000 @FedDevOntario grant was not included in this review, current Pride Toronto leadership attempted to cover this up. 6/7
We must bring community accountability to @PrideToronto - the ED and Board must come forward with the truth.
To follow my research check out pridegrants.ca - a website dedicated to unearthing the truth about Pride Toronto grants. 7/7
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New🧵: @PrideToronto took $1 million from Public Safety Canada to "develop more effective policing practice in LGBTQ2+ Indigenous community."
Under current leadership, Pride Toronto covered this up and redirected the funds away from Indigenous communities.
The project was to create an advisory board with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and to build a pilot project within selected Indigenous communities.
In May 2021, Public Safety Canada considered changes to the project. Under current Pride Toronto leadership, the consultations with Indigenous communities were removed. The funds were instead shifted to a "safer spaces incubator" project.
🧵Update on @PrideToronto: FOI docs from the City of Toronto show a secret deal in August 2017 to use an @ONTrillium grant to "slowly reintegrate the force back into the parade".
The secret deal included TD Bank and Mayor @JohnTory
A small number of queer orgs were also part of this plan. FOI documents show current @PrideToronto Operations Director Bobby MacPherson was coordinating these meetings.
Prior to the November 22, 2017 AGM, @PrideToronto staff were plotting to dodge "specific questions" around police participation, instead they were going to fall back on the plan to secure a @ONTrillium grant.
Mayor @JohnTory was to receive "embargoed" copies of Pride messaging.
Though it started as a project on the myths of decriminalization in 1969, I discovered another story of potentially manipulated documents, misdirection of funds, and other unethical conduct.
Download the PDF for links to the access to information documents.
The summary of my findings include using Cree artist Kent Monkman's name to raise grant funds even after he left the project, and the demand from @PrideToronto that Indigenous artists sign over ownership rights to their artwork.