‘We will not go anywhere': Toronto Pride celebrations continue despite financial woes
'There's so many different people that come from all over the world to Toronto Pride because it feels like everyone is welcome,' said the artist who performs under the name Krēme Inakuchi.
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Toronto Sun
7 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
HUNTER: Evil cult leader Charles Manson's chilling Canadian connections
Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox Charles Manson is escorted to his arraignment on conspiracy-murder charges in connection with the Sharon Tate murder case in 1969. (AP Photo) It would be difficult to put together a more bizarre triumvirate than evil cult killer Charles Manson's bizarre Canadian connections. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account There's the wide-eyed teenage ingenue whose father was a fire-and-brimstone preacher, later seduced by Manson, the Toronto-born biker gang leader and the elderly gangster who was the last man named Public Enemy Number One. I'm currently writing a book entitled, 'Inside the Mind of Charles Manson.' Research uncovered these nuggets (always use primary sources, kids!). Manson was the California cult leader who, in August 1969, unleashed his followers in a Hollywood bloodbath. Nine people, including actress Sharon Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger, were butchered. The tiny terror's Family members had unleashed 'Helter Skelter,' Manson's precursor to the apocalypse. Aside from devout Mansonphiles, few people have likely heard of Straight Satans' biker boss Danny DeCarlo or the Svengali's 15-year-old sexual playmate, Ruth Ann Moorehouse. Alvin Karpis? He's an entirely different matter. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Karpis was born in Montreal in 1909 and was a notorious bank robber. His criminal career propelled him into the stratosphere of Depression-era desperadoes as the brains behind the Barker-Karpis Gang. His partners in crime were the Barker brothers, hillbilly hoodlums from the Ozarks. CANADIAN PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE ALVIN KARPIS Intelligent with a photographic memory, when he was finally nabbed in New Orleans in 1936, Karpis was sent to Alcatraz. He served 25 years on The Rock, the longest of anyone. In 1962, he was transferred to McNeil Island Penitentiary in Washington, where his cellmate was a kid he called 'Little Charlie.' 'This kid approaches me to request music lessons. He wants to learn the guitar and become a music star,' Karpis said in his posthumous 1980 biography. ''Little Charlie' is so lazy and shiftless, I doubt if he'll put in the time required to learn. The youngster has been in institutions all of his life — first orphanages, then reformatories, and finally federal prison. He has a pleasant voice and a pleasing personality, although he's unusually meek and mild for a convict.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Days after Manson was arrested in December 1969, the late, much-lamented Montreal Star newspaper caught up with Karpis in his hometown, where he'd been deported. He never pegged the cult leader as a killer, just a greasy petty crook. Recommended video 'Manson had a native slyness about him,' Karpis told the Star . 'He was a meek and mild-mannered sort of fella who was easily likable. Music was his whole life. But I saw nothing but a string of penitentiaries in his future.' Ruth Ann Moorehouse was born in Toronto, the daughter of a devout preacher who moved to California in search of a new flock. She was just 16 years old when she met Manson — and had sex with him for the first time, joining The Family at Spahn Ranch. Her preacher dad wanted to kill Manson, but instead became a follower. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ruth Ann Moorehouse is pictured in a mugshot taken in August 1969. Photo by Los Angeles Police Department Ruth Ann did not take part in the grisly slayings but was often seen outside the courthouse with her head shaved and an 'X' carved into her forehead. And then she got the call to ice a Family member who was going to testify against their Svengali. The young woman went to Hawaii in 1970 with Manson girl Barbara Hoyt. Two would make the journey; the plan for Hoyt was a one-way trip. Moorehouse dosed Hoyt's cheeseburger with 10 hits of acid. Hoyt survived and testified. And then Moorehouse was in the wind. Danny DeCarlo, born June 20, 1944, in Toronto, became an American citizen after serving four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. His initial interactions with Manson were strictly monetary as treasurer of a long-defunct outlaw biker gang called the Straight Satans. Manson wanted guns. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. MANSONS BIKER: Danny DeCarlo, originally from Toronto. LAPD The biker later admitted that among the attractions of Manson's company was the steady supply of drugs and pretty girls who were always up for sex. DeCarlo had earlier been arrested attempting to smuggle marijuana across the border with Mexico. For Manson, having the burly bikers as allies would come in handy when Helter Skelter was unleashed. The rest of DeCarlo's gang didn't much like Charles Manson. Once his brother bikers showed up at Spahn Ranch and threatened to rape and kill everyone if Danny didn't return to Venice with them. Manson offered his own life to end the tense standoff. DeCarlo was at the ranch a week after the horror show that was the Tate-Labianca murders. Somewhere along the line, after hearing of the callous murder of ranchhand Shorty Shea at the hands of The Family, DeCarlo took the hint. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He flipped on the cult leader. 'Charlie would sit down there and run this thing down to them about tearing society apart, things like that, and they (DeCarlo's biker brothers) thought he was nuts and figured they was brainwashing me and they came up there to get me and they were going to take him and wad him up in a rubber ball,' the biker said in 1970. In the days before the massacre, DeCarlo revealed that Manson masqueraded as the Devil. 'He said he was the devil, and that the devil was on the loose,' DeCarlo testified. The biker later returned to Canada with fellow Manson follower Sherry Ann Cooper. They married. Had a kid. Divorced. DeCarlo was reportedly alive and well as of 2023. Manson caught the night train to hell in 2017. Remember, kids, primary sources. bhunter@ @HunterTOSun Columnists Wrestling Opinion NHL World
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Vancouver's 2025 pride parade smaller due to budget cuts
Thousands marched in Vancouver's pride parade Sunday, celebrating diversity and inclusion. But as Michelle Gomez reports, the parade looked different this year.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Vancouver Pride Parade goes on with spirit and colour despite major sponsorship losses
Social Sharing Tom Sater and Trevor Tang, both originally from California, first crossed paths in Vancouver in 1990, when the city hosted the Gay Games. "We had never met each other before until then," Tang said. On Sunday, the couple joined the Pride parade in the city not only to celebrate the occasion, but also to mark a deeply personal milestone — their 35th anniversary. They say both the parade and the city hold a special place in their hearts, as it's where their story began. "We ended up immigrating to Canada and are now Canadian citizens," Tang said. Pride means embracing diversity and living without fear, he said. "It's about being proud of who you are and not hiding." Sater and Tang were among hundreds of thousands of attendees lining the streets for the 47th annual Vancouver Pride Parade. The event, which ran from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., brought out a sea of rainbow flags, vibrant outfits, music and cheering crowds. But this year, the parade was smaller in scale — both in terms of the size of the route and funding. The route was shortened from four kilometres to 2.2, beginning near the Concord Pacific Lands near B.C. Place and ending in the West End. Organizers said it's a result of financial strain following the loss of nearly half of the event's corporate sponsors. The Vancouver Pride Society said it has seen roughly $400,000 in sponsorships disappear this year, with major brands like Lululemon and Walmart backing out. WATCH | Vancouver Parade losing half its corporate sponsorship: Vancouver Pride Parade going ahead despite financial strain, board confirms 24 days ago Morgane Oger, secretary of the society, said the lack of sponsorship reflects a wave of social conservatism rolling through North America, particularly coming from the United States, as well as tough economic times. "Some of our sponsors are just getting a little bit tired of the endless protests against Vancouver Pride that never get resolved," Oger told CBC News. "The U.S. companies are seeing a lot of pressure about DEI {diversity, equity and inclusion] and making too much noise about inclusion and diversity and that's a real shame." She also cited economic challenges as a factor. "When companies face financial hardship, cutting Pride events seems to be the easiest route," she said. Among the groups that withdrew from this year's parade were Rainbow Refugee and Queer Collective for Palestine. In an earlier statement to CBC News, Rainbow Refugee criticized the society for not taking a firmer stance on Palestine and for "giving space to organizations connected to war." In response, Oger said the society's mandate is to remain inclusive. WATCH | Vancouver Pride Society talks about its recent financial strain: Vancouver Pride Parade going ahead despite financial strain, board confirms 24 days ago The Vancouver Pride Parade is officially a go for Aug. 3, despite rumours it may not run, the Vancouver Pride Society said. But this year's celebrations come at a time of transition: there's a new board, sponsors have pulled out and the organization is facing financial strain. Vancouver Pride Society's Morgane Oger spoke about the challenges. "We celebrate and honour all members of our community — regardless of religion, race or ethnicity, place of origin, or political views," she said in a statement to CBC last month. The organization is exploring more stable funding sources and is considering asking the City of Vancouver to step in with support, she said. Mayor Ken Sim said the city is open to the idea. "We'll obviously look at it. It's disappointing that the sponsors have stepped away, but at the City of Vancouver, we've maintained our commitment and we support Pride." Despite the curtailed festivities, organizers said the day's energy remained electric with an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people participating. "Pride is really important to celebrate," said Oger. "Because if you don't protect the things that keep you safe and keep your rights active, then you're gonna lose your rights." Vancouver's LGBTQ+ community has been holding parades for more than four decades, and they've become one of the largest annual Pride events in Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney attends Prime Minister Mark Carney surprised attendees at Vancouver's Pride parade Sunday after meeting with Premier David Eby and officials from the Vancouver port. Carney met with Vancouver Fraser Port Authority president and CEO Peter Xotta and DP World Canada chief operating officer Joel Werner in the morning, briefly appearing at a photo op with the two executives after pacing the port facility as a large container ship loomed above. The prime minister was then scheduled for a meeting with B.C. Premier David Eby that was closed to media as the province grapples with U.S. tariffs and renewed animosity in the long running softwood lumber dispute. Carney later surprised attendees at the Vancouver Pride parade, marching for about a kilometre along the route beginning outside B.C. Place Stadium. He said the Pride parade represents the "essence of Canada," celebrating diversity in a "very positive way." Carney was greeted by loud cheers from parade-goers lining the sidewalks along the route, and he zigzagged across the street several times to meet and greet supporters as his security detail followed closely. The prime minister at one point was handed a microphone by a drag queen who thanked him for coming, and Carney said the parade was "the best of Canada."
