PRISM Community Services is looking to rebuild relationships and trust with the LGBTQ+ community and the broader public given the past history of Moose Jaw Pride.
Moose Jaw Pride was incorporated as a non-profit in 2014 but dissolved in 2022 after the board learned of more than $100,000 in liabilities, including unpaid loans, bills and taxes.
Sarah Critchley, chair and founder of PRISM in Moose Jaw, served for 26 years in the Canadian Forces. She says she carries a sense of duty and purpose to protect and support people.
Her vision for PRISM is to bring communities together and encourage people to step forward to support one another.
With that, PRISM is publicly acknowledging what happened with Moose Jaw Pride’s dissolution and the steps it is taking to regain the trust of the community.
“I also see the damage that the collapse of Moose Jaw Pride did to this community and the vacuum that left, so I want to try to build something that is sustainable, something that's going to not fall in the future, hopefully,” Critchley said.
“The only way you can do that part of it, obviously, is try building that trust up again. But it's also setting up our bylaws and our people to be more resilient, to have those checks or fail-safes in there to stop what happened before from happening again.”
PRISM has publicly put forward five principles it intends to follow: transparency, accountability, community-centred leadership, stewardship and reconciliation.
Critchley wants PRISM to be transparent, especially around finances.
“We're going to be open about how we raise our funds, how they're spent and who's making the decisions. Those financial reports ... will be available on our website and in our annual general meetings,” she said.
For accountability, a key part is PRISM owning up when mistakes are made and taking action.
Community-centred leadership will focus on building a leadership structure that remains in touch with the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, and ensuring members have a say in what happens in the community.
Another principle is stewardship — being entrusted with resources, whether financial or emotional. PRISM pledges to treat these resources with care, intention and respect.
The final principle is reconciliation, and Critchley knows regaining the trust of the community will take time.
“We know that trust must be earned. We don't expect that automatic faith in our work. We commit to demonstrating our integrity over time and through our actions and transparency,” she said.
Critchley also has a message to those who may have been hurt by past actions.
“The people who were hurt in the past, I just want to say we're listening. To those who supported the queer initiatives in Moose Jaw for years, I want to thank you for your strength and your grace. To those who are just now learning about PRISM, welcome,” she said.
“We are committed to a future where queer community is not just possible, but thriving and rooted in honesty, transparency and mutual care.”
She said she approached 40 different organizations to introduce PRISM, and the message was clear: things didn’t go well last time and there are trust issues.
“I feel bad for them. I feel bad for Moose Jaw Pride, the people who were in it, because they didn't deserve that either. I want to make it up to everybody and I hope we can at least create a new sense of community going forward,” Critchley said.
Anyone with questions or concerns about PRISM can visit www.prismmj.ca or contact Critchley directly at sarah.critchley@prismmj.ca.
Below is the “Truth and Reconciliation Statement to the Community” from PRISM Community Services:
PRISM Community Services Inc.
Truth & Reconciliation Statement to the Community
August 2025
To our 2SLGBTQIA+ community, our neighbours in Moose Jaw, and our supporters near and far,
PRISM Community Services was founded with a clear vision: to offer a safe, visible, and sustainable space for queer individuals and families in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas. We recognize that we do not begin this work in a vacuum. Our path forward stands on the shoulders—and amidst the lessons— of those who came before us, including the former MJ Pride organization.
While we are a new organization with new leadership, we acknowledge the pain, confusion, and loss of trust left behind in the wake of MJ Pride’s dissolution. We believe that healing starts with honesty and a public commitment to do better.
We affirm the following principles:
1. Transparency:
We will be open about how funds are raised, how they are spent, and who is making decisions. Financial reports will be available on our website and at our Annual General Meetings.
2. Accountability:
We are accountable to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community first and foremost—but also to our donors, volunteers, and the broader Moose Jaw community. When mistakes are made, we will own them and respond with action.
3. Community-Centered Leadership:
We are building a structure where leadership remains in touch with the needs and voices of those we serve. Membership means having a say.
4. Stewardship:
We are entrusted with resources—financial, emotional, and relational—and will steward them with care, intention, and respect.
5. Reconciliation:
We know that trust must be earned. We do not expect automatic faith in our work; we commit to demonstrating our integrity over time, through our actions and our transparency.
To those who were hurt by the past, we are listening.
To those who’ve supported queer initiatives in Moose Jaw for years: thank you for your strength and your grace.
To those who are just now learning about PRISM: welcome.
We are committed to a future where queer community is not just possible, but thriving—rooted in honesty, transparency, and mutual care.
In solidarity and service,
Sarah Critchley
Chair
PRISM Community Services Inc.
www.prismmj.ca