Pride Toronto is reportedly repaying over half a million dollars to the Canadian government after misusing funds.
This comes after the organization failed to prove whether or not it completed a series of projects it had promised, with grants it was given.
The organization has reportedly already begun repaying the more than $505,000 it owes, with $100,000 already returned, according to CBC News.
In 2021, Pride Toronto hired accounting firm KPMG to undertake a “Grant Compliance Review.”
READ MORE: ‘Through love we can accomplish great things,’ New exhibit celebrates 50+ years of Toronto Pride
The firm was tasked with reviewing how finances were distributed following three government grants which totaled $1.85 million.
As a result, KPMG found that the organization’s financial records were not adding up and that it could not prove it completed several projects.
Pride Toronto Executive Director Kojo Modeste told CBC News that the organization has “encountered challenges in locating supporting documents for certain expenditures spanning the years 2017 to 2021.”
“It’s important to note that since that time, we have implemented significant improvements in our financial practices since the KPMG report to ensure transparency and accountability,” Modeste added.
In response to the audit, Pride Toronto released a statement apologizing to the communities it harmed.
“We have reached out personally and formally in writing to a number of individuals and organizations who Pride Toronto wrongly, and without their permission or approval, made false representations claiming their support for Pride Toronto’s grant applications,” Pride Toronto said in the statement on Jan. 16.
“Pride Toronto has offered our apologies to the Indigenous individuals and 2Spirit communities we have harmed. We have requested the opportunity to consult with them on what might constitute an appropriate and acceptable financial resolution for the acts of settler colonialism our organization inflicted upon them,” the statement continued.
According to CBC News, a Canadian Heritage spokesperson said the government is satisfied with the organization’s commitment to repay the funds.
The spokesperson added that the organization still owes a balance of $424,780.63.
Now Toronto reached out to KPMG for further comments and did not hear back in time for publication. We also reached out to Pride Toronto who said the organization could not provide any statement because it is not involved in any audit process for Toronto Pride.
