To our community,
Many furry conventions, Furnal Equinox included, rely heavily on volunteer work to protect attendee health and safety. For many years, this has been enough. More recently, however, our convention has grown exponentially—beyond what we could have imagined even a few short years ago.
Our community is growing larger and faster than ever before, and that has involved some major shifts in the expectations placed on our convention and our staff. Following last year’s event, it has become apparent that we need to put more resources toward supporting our attendees, ensuring that our guidelines are followed, and that attendees remain safe throughout the weekend. We want Furnal Equinox to remain an open, welcoming, and inclusive convention for everyone. Further, we want to remain courteous to (and respectful of) our venue and other parties both in and outside of our community.
Some of the changes at Furnal Equinox in 2024 include:
- Increased First Aid and Mental Health Certification training among volunteer staff
- Changes to event and panel scheduling to accommodate larger groups
- New and improved signage
- Enforced capacity limits at some room entrances
- Increased security will be provided by an external private company, including support from uniformed members of the Toronto Police Service (TPS)
- TPS will be primarily stationed in places requiring more attention, such as the entrance to our nightly dances. They will be accompanied by members of our volunteer Nightingales, who remain your go-to team at the convention for safety and assistance.
TPS members will have mental health training and/or preferably be LGBT/queer identifying.
- We have been working with this security company for several years now to watch the Dealers Den overnight. In 2024, we are expanding to include daytime assistance throughout the con.
- TPS will be primarily stationed in places requiring more attention, such as the entrance to our nightly dances. They will be accompanied by members of our volunteer Nightingales, who remain your go-to team at the convention for safety and assistance.
We know some attendees may have had past negative experiences with this kind of support, whether at other conventions or in their personal lives. However, our goal is to foster a safe environment for everyone, and help anticipate needs as Furnal Equinox continues to grow. We understand that some of the above may be uncomfortable, but this decision will allow us to have better, faster responses, should a serious emergency arise.
We appreciate all the feedback that allows us to improve and grow. If you have any questions on anything covered in this announcement, or anything else about the convention, please email us at info@furnalequinox.com.
Above all, we can’t wait to see you next month Under the Sea!