Mayor Rob Ford is taking heat for not yet deciding whether he is going to walk in Toronto's annual Pride Parade.
Ford hasn't committed to joining hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators in the July 3 parade, saying he is putting off the decision because he doesn't know what his schedule will be like.
His non-committal has drawn a fair bit of criticism because previous mayors, including David Miller, have marched in the parade for years.
Adding to that is the fact that Ford has walked in Santa Claus, St. Patrick's Day and Easter parades since he was elected last October.
Ford is being encouraged to participate in the parade because Pride Week is such a lucrative festival for Toronto.
Pride Week festivities draw thousands of people to Toronto and generate millions of dollars in municipal taxes and revenues for local businesses and services, despite only receiving about $124,000 in funding from the city.
A recent study found that Pride Week pumped $94 million into the economy in 2009.
Pride Week 2011 runs June 24 to July 3.
With a report from CP24's Farah Nasser
