At the start of a three-day conference in downtown Montreal on Wednesday to support Black-led non-profit organizations, much of the talk among delegates was about the possible cancellation of this July’s Carifiesta parade.
“I don’t understand what happened,” said Fabienne Colas, founder of Montreal’s Black Film Festival. “I don’t understand and I find it unfortunate.”
Montreal city officials say they didn’t think the organization’s proposal for the parade was viable. As well, the city expressed concerns over the governance of the organization, questions others have raised for years.
The event promoter disputes the city’s conclusions but some at Wednesday’s conference, organized by the non-profit organization Groupe 3737, believe it’s in the city’s interest to make sure the parade goes ahead to showcase Montreal’s diversity.
“Whatever the issue may have been,” Colas argued, “the City of Montreal should be sitting down with the people doing these events and say, ‘Here are the challenges and here’s how we propose to help you tackle them so that we can maintain a vibrant cultural arts sector in Montreal.'”
Colas noted that other cultural events were cancelled or lost funding this year, including Haïti en Folies, a celebration of Haitian culture, which she founded 17 years ago.
She said their funding was slashed by about half for 2023.
“The very city that is supposed to … help strengthen these organizations, (is) cutting money from them, cancelling them,” Colas noted. “That is not a good sign. That is not a good signal.”
However, there is movement afoot to salvage Carifiesta for this summer, and it includes efforts by Groupe 3737.
The organization has been helping non-profit groups across Canada for more than a decade including former Olympic sprinter Bruny Surin’s foundation, as well as festivals organized by Colas.
One Groupe 3737 official says they were contacted to see how they can marshal some of their resources to save the parade.
“We are already in discussions to see in what capacity we can help that particular organization, or maybe another organization that wants to take the lead,” CEO Louis-Edgar Jean-François told Global News.
City of Montreal officials say they are meeting Carifiesta organizers this week.
“Now it’s time to be on solution mode and see for the future what can be done,” Ericka Alneus, executive committee member responsible for culture and heritage, told reporters Wednesday.
Everyone at the Groupe 3737 event has their fingers crossed.