Capital Pride is seeking an experienced community builder, exceptional leader and skilled event planner to take on the role of Executive Director. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be responsible for organizing and facilitating all Capital Pride events, ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the organization, representing Capital Pride to the media and in the community, and providing overall organizational leadership.

The Executive Director will lead the overall coordination of Capital Pride’s two flagship festivals — Winter Pride and the Summer Festival — and other events throughout the year. The selected candidate will develop relationships with community organizations and governmental stakeholders, and fundraise through sponsorship opportunities and grant applications. The Executive Director will also recruit and manage festival staff and volunteers, establishing work plans and priorities and setting timelines and deadlines. They will have experience in event production and promotion and be passionate about supporting, celebrating and advocating for the 2SLGBTQI+ community.      

The Executive Director will need to be self-motivated, organized and hardworking. The position is 40 hours per week, with additional evening and weekend hours required leading up to and during WinterPride and the Summer Festival. 

Position Type: Full-time, permanent

Start Date: Flexible, but aiming for mid-July 2023

Annual Salary: Starting $80,000 (commensurate with experience and with the possibility of additional bonuses and raises)

Location: Ottawa, ON

Language: Primary working language is English; French language skills are a strong asset and are highly encouraged

Reports to: Co-Chairs of the Board of Directors

Deadline to apply: June 9, 2023

CORE COMPETENCIES

The Executive Director will be a capable and effective leader who is committed to supporting 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The Executive Director will have demonstrable experience growing organizations, implementing strategic plans, fundraising, applying for grants, leading teams and organizing multi-day events or festivals. 

The following skills and experience are required:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working in festival or event production and/or non-profit organizations
• Minimum 2 years experience managing staff and volunteers
• Experience with budget preparation and financial management
• Experience with venue management, negotiating vendor contracts, and coordinating artists
• Experience with media relations
• Event or festival marketing experience, including both traditional and digital marketing 
• Demonstrable success in sponsorship development, grant and proposal writing, and/or planned giving programs 
• Understanding of non-profit organizational governance and experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors
• Understanding of issues affecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQI+ community
• Reliable, self-motivated and able to work productively without supervision
• Excellent time-management skills 
• Strong communication skills

The following attributes are definite assets:

• Bilingualism (EN/FR)
• Experience negotiating and managing artist contracts 
• Familiarity with the National Capital Region’s 2SLGBTQI+ community including community organizations and groups

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership

• Provide leadership, direction and support to Capital Pride volunteers and staff through effective communication, goal-setting, delegation and performance evaluations
• Ensure Board members have timely, relevant and accurate information to fulfill their mandate and realize Capital Pride’s strategic plan
• Identify and develop annual priorities in conjunction with the Board of Directors
• Encourage harmonious relationships between the Board, staff, volunteers, and community members through effective communications

2. Event Planning and Execution

• Manage the organization of Winter Pride,the Summer Festival and year round programming. 
• Identify and book artists, speakers and performers for official Pride events with special consideration for those from underrepresented communities 
• Ensure event plans are executed within approved budgets 
• Lead Capital Pride’s participation in the City’s Special Event Advisory Team (SEAT), including festival site planning, emergency and risk planning and working with various municipal partners.
• Monitor event activities in order to ensure compliance with site regulations and local laws, satisfaction of event attendees and resolution of any problems that arise
• Ensure event plans fulfill partnership and grant obligations
• Coordinate with external suppliers and partners involved in event production
• Conduct post-event evaluations in order to determine how future events can be improved

3. Financial Management

• Ensure sound financial management and control, budget preparation and forecasting in accordance with all pertinent legislation and policy
• Develop annual operating budget in collaboration with the Board of Directors’ Treasurer for Board approval
• Manage the efficient and effective use of the organization’s resources
• Act as a signing authority for Capital Pride

4. Sponsorship and Grants

• Manage Capital Pride’s sponsorship program, including both cash and in-kind sponsorships. 
• Identify grant opportunities and develop high-quality grant applications

5. Administration and Governance

• Act as the official point of contact for all inquiries.
• Participate in board and committee meetings, including preparing monthly board reports. 
• Prepare comprehensive post-Festival reports each year, for both WinterPride and the Summer Festival
• Attend and report at Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings 

6. Communication and Community Engagement

• Oversee Capital Pride’s internal and external communications including media relations, social media, and marketing efforts.
• Direct the development of WinterPride and the Summer Festival’s marketing and promotions plans, including both local marketing and tourism destination marketing
• Develop and carry out media relations strategy, including production of media releases, coordination of interviews with organizational spokespeople and occasional media interviews as required
• Identify opportunities for community partnerships and perform outreach activities to strengthen Pride’s relationship with community groups. 
• Represent Capital Pride at community events, on local and regional committees, networks or initiatives, as required 
• Maintain a positive image and relationship with local, provincial and federal governments and departments, and other external stakeholders

7. Staff and Volunteer Management

• Manage staff team (summer staff team, other full-time staff and contractors) 
• Recruit, train and lead a dedicated team of volunteers to execute WinterPride, the Summer Festival and all Capital Pride events

Capital Pride believes in work led by and for our communities. As part of our commitment to equity, indigenization, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism and anti-oppression we encourage applications from queer individuals, trans and non-binary people, Indigenous, Black and people of colour (IBPOC) individuals, Two-Spirit people, people living with HIV, people living with Hepatitis C, disabled people, 2SLGBTQI+ women, and other people with fabulous and diverse identities and experiences.

Capital Pride creates opportunities to celebrate, advocate, educate and connect people, respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Canada’s capital region.

HOW TO APPLY

Please email your application to [email protected] and put the job you are applying for in the subject line (Executive Director).

Deadline is June 9, 2023

All applicants are required to provide: 1) a cover letter explaining how they meet the requirements of this position; and 2) an up-to-date resume. Applications received without all the required documents may not be considered.

We appreciate all applicants’ enthusiasm for the role. Only those selected for an interview will be notified.

ACCESSIBILITY 

If this process presents barriers to access, please email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Access: Executive Director Application” to discuss alternative formats for submitting an application.

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Summer Festival Jobs

Capital Pride is seeking to fill the following full-time summer positions to help coordinator the 2023 Summer Festival:

• Operations and Logistics Coordinator 
• Volunteer and Events Coordinator 

Applicants are asked to submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected] no later than 5pm on Monday, April 17, 2023. Questions may be directed to [email protected].

Eligibility 

It is expected that this position will be supported by the Canada Summer Jobs Program. As such, applicants must meet the following requirements:  

• Have been registered as full-time students in the current academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in September 2023;
• Be between the ages of 15 and 30 at the start of employment;
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or persons who have been granted refugee status in Canada;
• Be legally entitled to work according to provincial legislation and possess a valid Social Insurance Number; and
• Not be in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits at the start of the job.

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Capital Pride joins with other organizations across the country to recognize and celebrate human rights activist Fae Johnstone. Fae is the Executive Director of Wisdom2Action and a powerful advocate for trans liberation and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Fae has a long history of involvement in the National Capital Region, where she helped to promote the rights and well-being of trans and non-binary people through workshops, keynote speeches, op-eds, and community events. Our region simply wouldn’t be the same without Fae’s courageous leadership and tireless advocacy.

In recognition of her achievements, Fae has been featured in a new International Women’s Day campaign by Hershey Canada – Her for She. The campaign highlights Fae’s work and that of other women who are helping to build a better  future. You can learn more about the four other women featured in the campaign here.

This honour has been met with a repulsive campaign of hate against Fae and calls to boycott Hershey. Such acts are the latest in a long-running crusade of transphobia that seeks to silence trans and gender-diverse activists and punish organizations that uplift their work. Capital Pride condemns these transphobic bullies and the organizations who amplify their gross conduct.

Let us all be inspired by Fae Johnstone’s accomplishments and recommit ourselves to creating a world where everyone can live as their honest and authentic selves.

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We are proud to partner once again with the National Arts Centre and Ottawa Public Library to present Drag Storytime. We remain focused on working to create a respectful and safe space for families, performers and community partners, in order to prevent and limit any disruptions on site.

Over the past year, 2SLGBTQ+ community events throughout Ontario and in other parts of the country have been targeted in an attempt to intimidate and silence event organizers, drag artists and 2SLGBTQ+ families and community members. These actions are part of a longstanding campaign to vilify queer and trans people and our communities.

We will not be intimidated. Our event will move forward as planned.

We also welcome the efforts of Community Solidarity Ottawa and other community members who are planning to show up in support of our Drag Storytime on Wednesday. You can read more about the solidarity action here. 

Together, we will make sure that love is louder than hate.

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2SLGBTQ+ community and allies invited to celebrate Pride on world’s longest skating rink

Ottawa, ON – Today Capital Pride announced its inaugural Ice Parade, taking place during Winterlude as part of Winter Pride events. The Ice Parade, Canada’s first-ever Pride parade on ice, will kick-off at 4 p.m. on the Rideau Canal Skateway near the Laurier Street Bridge on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ending at the Fifth Avenue Rest Area in The Glebe.

The ice-parade will feature live music and DJ set by BLK PRL, local drag performers on skates, and Capital Pride’s 30-foot Progress Pride Flag carried by players from Ottawa Pride Hockey. Festival-goes, Community members and allies are invited to meet at the start of the parade, in skates or on foot, or join in along the route.

“Capital Pride creates opportunities for the community to celebrate and advocate for progress locally and around the world. I can’t think of a more iconic way to bring the community together than on the world’s largest skating rink,” says Toby Whitfield, Capital Pride Executive Director.

“Winterlude is back! From February 3 to 20, get outside and take part in this great Canadian tradition with family and friends. Across Canada’s Capital Region, people can take part in a variety of festivities that give them a chance to celebrate the cultural and artistic diversity, as well as the Indigenous cultures and artists, that make our country so rich. This year, I also invite you to participate in the Winter Pride events organized by Capital Pride, including the first-ever Pride Ice Parade,” says The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

In-person programming returns to Winter Pride from February 3 to 20, including outdoor drag shows on Sparks Street, family interactive rainbow ice mosaics, a Queer Black Excellence Showcase, drag storytime and other family programming, a silent disco and a Winter Pride Drag Show. This year’s Winter Pride is presented in partnership with Winterlude.

Capital Pride celebrates the rich and diverse 2SLGBTQ+ community in the National Capital Region. Our mission is to create opportunities to advocate, educate and connect people through programming and events in partnership with our partner community groups, businesses, and sponsors.

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OTTAWA – Following two years of virtual celebrations, today Capital Pride is pleased to announce the return of the Capital Pride Festival from Sunday, August 21, to Sunday, August 28, 2022. This year’s festival theme is All Together Now and speaks to the community reuniting to celebrate and advocate.

“Planning is well underway for our 2022 Capital Pride Festival and we look forward to hosting  8 days of great programming for the entire community,” said Toby Whitfield, Executive Director of Capital Pride. “We hope this year’s Festival will be an opportunity to come together to celebrate but also that it will serve as a platform for continued advocacy for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.”

Today the following new programming and plans for an expanded Festival Weekend can also be announced: 

• A new public art project will take place throughout the week and feature art installations reflecting this year’s theme, All Together Now! 
• The annual Capital Pride Pageant is on the move, now taking place at Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre on Thursday, August 25 with contestants competing to be crowned the next Ms. Capital Pride, Mr. Capital Pride and Mx. Capital Pride. 
• Festival Weekend returns to Bank Street from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 with three nights of live entertainment, an expanded street festival and a new Family Zone at Dundonald Park. 
• Festival Weekend will feature live entertainment across three stages: the TD Main Stage at Bank Street & Slater Street, the Somerset DJ Stage at Bank Street and Somerset Street, and a Community Stage at Bank Street & Laurier Street. 

About the 2022 Theme: All Together Now!

This year’s theme “All Together Now” is an invitation to the community to celebrate and advocate. The Capital Pride Festival brings our communities together. After a challenging two years, we are excited to celebrate All Together Now! This is our opportunity to reconnect and celebrate the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community!  

At the same time, Pride is rooted in activism. When we come together, we reflect on the challenges our communities face and the progress that has been achieved—and we continue to advocate for action locally and around the world.  

Our communities are stronger when we are all together.

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Ottawa community members are the ongoing targets of hate speech, hate crimes, and harassment from participants in the downtown Ottawa convoy. As disruptions continue throughout downtown Ottawa, there continues to be reports of community members being the target of hate speech, hate crimes and harassment. 

Ottawa’s Centretown has a long and proud history of being a home for LGBTQ activism and community. Today, residents are afraid to leave their homes, and have been subject to intimidation and harassment for displaying the pride flag in their homes and in their neighbourhoods. When residents do walk their streets, they are faced with homophobic and transphobic slurs and signs. Even online, Ottawans have been the target of harassment. These troubling events occurred alongside widely reported incidents of harassment, racism, anti-Semitisim and other troubling and violent conduct.

As a consequence of the ongoing disruptions, front-line community organizations — including health services — have had to limit services or suspend operations. We recognize this has a profound impact on 2SLGBTQ+ people as well as all residents and community members.

Demonstrations that allow such hateful conduct to go unchecked have no place in our city. 

There is nothing peaceful about homophobia and transphobia, racism, xenophobia, or anti-Semitism. There is nothing peaceful about the forced closure of front-line health centres and community services. There is nothing peaceful about schools, vaccination clinics and city services having to close. There is nothing peaceful about the emotional and psychological impact of being harassed in your own community.

Those who live, work and learn downtown deserve to feel safe and supported in their own community. Individuals should have access to health care services and front-line community services. Families should have access to childcare and schools.

It is time to restore peace in our City.

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This February, Capital Pride is proud to present Queer, Trans, Black and Proud a month of programming that celebrates and honours the Queer and Trans Black community. The programming is being organized in recognition of Black History Month. 

A variety of events will take place each week including a panel discussion featuring a Black leader within the 2SLGBTQ+ community;  a youth art workshop in partnership with the Ottawa Art Gallery;  a night of music, drag and performances; a keynote event with Canadian writer and activist Kim Katrin Milan; and a performance by Canadian artist Desiire as part of the NAC’s Friday’s at the Fourth. Further details and a full line-up of events is online at capitalpride.ca.

Recognizing the evolving nature of COVID-19, we anticipate some events will be delivered virtually while it is hoped that events later in the month will be delivered in a hybrid format. All programming will align with public health guidance and details will be shared in the lead-up to each individual event.

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This year, Capital Pride received support from Bilingual Ottawa’s microgrant and today we are pleased to update the community on accomplishments achieved thanks to this funding. The Bilingual Ottawa grant allowed the Capital Pride Festival to increase its linguistic accessibility by expanding programming and delivering events bilingually.

In particular, the grant supported:

• Simultaneous interpretation and captioning of 3 panel discussions and 1 keynote presentation (from English to French).
• The development of a panel discussion focused on gender-diverse francophone perspectives within the 2SLGBTQ community, which was also simultaneously interpreted and captioned.
• The creation of a bilingual children’s colouring book. 
• The translation of marketing materials and web content.  

The project’s programming engaged 2,400 people directly and reached over 24,500 indirect participants.

“The support of Bilingual Ottawa has been crucial in helping Capital Pride to deliver important programming in a more linguistically accessible way, while also highlighting the particular perspectives of French-speaking members of the National Capital’s 2SLGBTQ+ community,” said Francesco MacAllister-Caruso, Capital Pride’s Director of Francophone Affairs. “Bilingual Ottawa’s investment into our community-based projects has helped to strengthen our city’s bilingual character and continues to play an invaluable role in creating a more inclusive community, in line with Capital Pride’s mission.”

“ACFO Ottawa and the Bilingual Ottawa program are honored to have supported the bilingual initiatives of Capital Pride and help community based initiatives create their own space. It is important for us that all communities are represented in the language of their preference,” said Patrick Pharand, Bilingual Ottawa Program Manager.

About the Bilingual Ottawa Grant

Bilingual Ottawa is a microgrant funded through the federal government’s Canadian Heritage Action Plan for Official Languages and is administered in Ottawa by the Association des communautés francophones d’Ottawa.  38 projects received support through the program, including Capital Pride. For more information please visit https://acfoottawa.ca/bilingualottawa

About Capital Pride

Capital Pride creates opportunities to celebrate, advocate, educate and connect people, respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The 2021 Capital Pride Festival took place August 23-29. For more information, please visit www.capitalpride.ca. 

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Capital Pride welcomes the Government’s commitment to finally ban conversion practices. Conversion practices cause serious harm, perpetuate stigma and have been widely discredited. In recognition of the serious impact of conversion practices, any legislation to ban these practices must be comprehensive in scope, provide funding and support for survivors and include a public education campaign.

This summer, Bill C-6 which banned conversion therapy died when Parliament was dissolved. Following the election, Capital Pride, along with 100 other organizations, signed onto No Conversion Canada’s Community Call to Action, calling on Parliament to ban conversion practices and support survivors. 

The Call to Action provides a detailed set of criteria that the legislation must address. It is available here: /bit.ly/3bqMh0r 

Absent from the Throne Speech was a commitment to end the discriminatory blood ban. We welcome recent news that Canada Blood Services has announced it will seek regulatory approval to move from a discriminatory screening process to a behaviour based approach. However, we will continue to work with the All Blood is Equal coalition to push for an end to the blood ban without further delay. More information about the campaign is available here: www.allbloodisequal.ca

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Ottawa, ON – Capital Pride is pleased to announce that it will host drag superstar Priyanka in Ottawa on Thursday, November 18 as part of her Taste Test Tour, promoting her new album Taste Test.

Capital Pride has taken on the event, with proceeds going to the organization. The show was cancelled by the original promoters, but will now go on, on the same date, with tickets available through capitalpride.ca, and at the original location, Bronson Centre Music Theatre.

“Capital Pride is pleased to be able to bring Priyanka to Ottawa and share this amazing show with our local community,” said Toby Whitfield, Executive Director of Capital Pride. “In line with our commitment to the local drag community, we are also excited to provide an opportunity for local drag performers to share the stage with this iconic performer.”

“We are thrilled to host Priyanka and the local drag performers at Bronson” said Lisa Zbitnew, co owner of the venue.  I’ve had the opportunity to see her perform, and Ottawa is in for a very special treat.  We hope to do many more drag performances here and support the community and the local drag talent. It’s been a tough 2 years for all performers, and we look forward to adding to the vibrant local Ottawa scene”.

“My new album has just surpassed 2 million streams and I am so excited to celebrate in Ottawa with my iconic fans,” said Priyanka. “Ottawa is so special to me! I’ll never forget playing Capital Pride before I was even on Drag Race. This event is going to be a full scale concert experience that benefits Capital Pride. I can’t wait!”

This newly announced show will go on sale on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 through www.capitalpride.ca. The tickets for the original show have been refunded through Eventbrite and a new ticket purchase is required for this show.

Priyanka is the winner of the first season of Canada’s Drag Race. In July, Priyanka released Taste Test and is now touring across North America and Europe.

Event Details:

When	Thursday, November 18, 2021
Where:	The Bronson Centre Theatre
Time:	Doors open at 7:00pm Show from 8-10:30pm
Featuring:	Priyanka Hosted By Kiki Coe, with performances by Kimmy Couture, Ben Dover, Saltina Shaker, Shea D. Ladie and Devona Coe With a live viewing of Canada’s Drag Race, Episode 6
Tickets:	Tickets go on sale at noon on Tuesday, November 9 at capitalpride.ca. The show is general admission. Ticketholders with tickets to the original show will need to repurchase tickets at capitalpride.ca.

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There is no place for hate within 2SLGBTQ+ communities. More than ever, we must work together to confront bullying and harassment and all forms of oppression, including transphobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, or otherwise. 

The conduct of Yaya Torres and Haus of Torres is unacceptable. Capital Pride is not currently working with either party and we confirm we will not be working together in the future. 

It has also been made evident that our 2021 Ms. Capital Pride, Babe Kelly, has engaged in unacceptable behaviour rooted in racism and transphobia. This conduct fails to meet the communities’ expectations of a Capital Pride titleholder and violates our code of conduct for pageant contestants and winning titleholders. 

Today, Capital Pride met with Babe Kelly and accepted her resignation as Ms. Capital Pride 2021. While this is a serious decision, we believe the consequences reflect the severity of the current situation and that the outcome is inline with Capital Pride’s mission to respect the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

This week’s news also demonstrates that these issues were not isolated. In the coming weeks, we are committed to working with the local drag community, event organizers and establishments, and community groups to develop an awareness campaign that seeks to confront hate within our spaces. We will also support the drag community as they seek to create positive change and address some of the underlying issues that have come to light over the last few days. 

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It is with mixed emotions that Capital Pride’s Board of Directors announces the retirement of its Chairperson, Davy Sabourin (he/him), effective November 10, 2020. Davy recently accepted a new professional role and had to make the difficult decision to step down from his role as Chairperson of Capital Pride. He has graciously agreed to remain on the Board of Directors as the Immediate Past Chair, in an ex officio (non-voting) role, to ensure a smooth transition. Davy’s involvement with Capital Pride throughout the years has been invaluable and his leadership will be greatly missed.

In light of the timing of his retirement and with the full support of the Board of Directors, Capital Pride’s current Vice Chair, Geneviève Colverson (she/her) has assumed the role of interim Chairperson. Francesco MacAllister-Caruso (he/him or they/them) was then elected to the role of interim Vice Chair. Both offices are being filled on an interim basis until Capital Pride’s Annual General Meeting, which is set to be held in January 2021, when the Board of Directors will elect its executive officers for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Capital Pride is confident that Geneviève and Francesco will continue to ensure the progressive development of the organization in a way that encompasses the needs of members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the National Capital Region.

Capital Pride is also thrilled to announce the appointment of a new Treasurer, Jonathan Généreux (he/him), to its Board of Directors. Jonathan is a Chartered Professional Accountant whose expertise will be instrumental to the continued strategic financial development of the organization. His full bio is available on our website.

“I have full confidence in Geneviève and Francesco’s leadership, and I am delighted that we have added a strong Treasurer to the Board,” said Davy Sabourin, former Chairperson. “With its dedicated and passionate team, Capital Pride will continue to fulfill its mission of creating opportunities to celebrate, advocate, educate and connect people, respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community,” he added.

Capital Pride will also be announcing recruitment efforts in the coming weeks, seeking diverse members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to join the Board of Directors. Stay tuned for the announcement of that recruitment campaign!

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