News Release: A Community Proposal for Pride 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 15, 2015

Backgrounder: A Community Proposal for Pride 2015

A proposal has been developed so that the residents of Ottawa can be assured that a community-based Pride festival continues for the 30th anniversary, while allowing for the smooth transition to a new organization that can take primary responsibility for the festival in the future.

According to Ottawa Police Services crowd counts, Capital Pride 2014 brought 110,000 spectators to Bank Street (over 75,000 in 2013). The Community Fair and associated entertainment has drawn annually 8,000 to 10,000 people.

Partnership

It is proposed that a partnership between a new Pride organization and the Bank St. BIA be established for Pride 2015. This would ensure that the festival has solid financial oversight with an experienced partner that has a strong connection to the City of Ottawa.

Governance

The community group that developed this proposal will continue as a Community Advisory Committee. This committee would be responsible for establishing an effective governance model and ongoing oversight for the new Pride organization through this period of transition towards full incorporation. The Committee would also be responsible for the selection of positions under the Capital Pride Operations Committee.

The Bank St. BIA will not be involved in the day-to-day planning of the festival, but will be formally accountable for financial expenditures and reporting for the festival.

Operations Committee

In this transitional period, an Operations Committee led by a Festival Producer would manage the day-to-day planning of the festival. The Festival Producer would co-chair the Operations Committee with the BIA Liaison.

The Operations Committee would include Assistant Producer, Budget Officer, Sponsorship Lead, Events Coordinator, Community Liaison, Communications Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Parade Coordinator positions. In addition, three Community Members at Large would attend Operations Committee meetings.

The Bank Street BIA will provide operational support (e.g., staff support, office space) and have a representative on this committee for informational purposes only.

Financial Accountability

While the Operations Committee would include a budget officer, formal financial reporting during this transitional period would be through the Bank Street Treasurer.

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Contacts

Tammy Dopson
Community Spokesperson
Cell:613-725-6472
Email: [email protected]

Christine Leadman
Executive Director, Bank St. BIA
Cell: 613-407-0977
Email: [email protected]