Proud Perspectives and Colourful Crossings is a self-guided experience Little Canada launched in partnership with The ArQuives at the beginning of June, inviting guests to explore 2SLGBTQIA+ stories thoughtfully woven throughout Little Canada’s miniature world. From trailblazing individuals to historic milestones, these moments of courage, resilience, and celebration are waiting to be discovered.
There’s still time to experience this special Pride Month feature before the end of June, but the spirit of this important storytelling extends far beyond this month. These new scenes are just one example of our commitment to representing the full diversity of the Canadian experience throughout the year as we continue to bring underrepresented histories to light, and capture what it truly means to be Canadian across identities, regions, and moments in time.
Here is a little peek at 5 stories that are part of the self-guided experience.
Québec’s National Assembly amends the Québec Human Rights Charter to include sexual orientation as a prohibited form of discrimination in a landmark vote on December 15, 1977.
At the time, no other province considered sexual orientation as a human right. Neither the federal Human Rights Act nor the Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognized sexual orientation.
The amendment was in response to especially brutal police raids, harassment, and surveillance of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community that coincided with the Montreal Summer Olympics in 1976, which was widely perceived as mayor Jean Drapeau’s attempts to “clean up” the city in advance of the games. Activists immediately began making their voices heard through protests, The strength of these actions gave the newly elected Parti Québécois no choice but to advance this legislation. In fact, in the very same year of the Québec decision, the Ontario Human Rights Commission produced a report titled “Life Together,” recommending that the government include sexual orientation in the Ontario Code.
The response was swift and highly critical. Receiving disproportionate attention in the media, the public backlash led the Ontario government to reject this recommendation from its own commission. Instead, it was Quebec that became the first jurisdiction to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It would be almost another decade before Ontario did the same.
The little scene you see here depicts a crowd standing united, waving flags in protest as they demand an end to police repression and standing in alliance for the recognition of queer rights as basic human rights.
Jim Egan Publishes “Aspects of Homosexuality” and “Homosexual Concepts,” 1951 – 1954
One of Toronto’s many nicknames is “Toronto the Good”; however, by the post World War II era, this civic reputation seems to have become tarnished, given that the city inspired a frenzy of tabloid publications.
Beginning in the 1930s, numerous publications jockeyed for publicity and audiences with titles such as Hush Free Press (1927 – 1973), Confidential Flash (c. 1938 – c.1966), Justice Weekly (1946 – 1972), True New Times (c. 1948 – 1957), The Rocket (c. 1951 – 1952), or Tab Weekly (1956 – 2007). As to be expected, these periodicals targeted and denigrated the lesbian, gay, and trans communities. Outings of individuals caught in police entrapments, some even with accompanying photographs, were common.
Surprisingly, the tabloid publications also gave voice to a burgeoning queer and trans underground subculture through publishing weekly columns such as “A Study in Lavender,” “Fairy Tales Are Retold,” “Toronto Fairy-Go-Round,” or “The Gay Set.” It was this tabloid forum that drew Canada’s earliest gay activist, James (Jim) Egan, to begin advocating for lesbian and gay legal and social reforms through the print media.
Starting in 1949, Egan began submitting letters to the editors of various mainstream newspapers and magazines. His first publication, titled “I am a Homosexual” was published in December 1950 in a U.S. men’s magazine titled Sir!, although earlier in that year several of his letters to the editors were published in Toronto tabloids.
In November and December 1951, using the pseudonym J.L.E., he authored a series of seven full length articles in True News Times titled “Aspects of Homosexuality.” The rigorously researched pieces explored the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples, provided an overview of scientific study on the phenomenon, then a sobering ”discussion of the legal aspects in the life of a homosexual.“ In the following year, he authored a semi-regular feature titled “Homosexual Concepts” published in Justice Weekly. Another untitled series of fifteen columns followed until June 1954.
These various writings focused on demanding equality for gays and lesbians, greater public education about homosexuality, legal reform, and an end to discrimination. At the time of publishing these articles–which represent some of the earliest examples of 2SLGBTQIA+ media-based activism in Canada if not the world–Egan was living in Oak Ridges (later Richmond Hill) with his lifelong partner Jack Nesbit on a farm that they had both purchased. The couple met in 1948 and their relationship became the foundation of one of Canada’s most groundbreaking steps forward to same sex rights.
Through a 1995 Supreme Court challenge, Jack and Jim used the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to fight the discriminatory exclusion of same-sex couples from pension benefits under the Old Age Security Act.
Although their case was eventually dismissed, the Supreme Court ruled that–as “sexual orientation” is in the Charter of Rights–it is a ground of discrimination, thus providing protection from discrimination. The decision has been described as “losing the battle but winning the war,” given that the ruling set a landmark legal precedent used in court cases across Canada to further human rights for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
The little scene you see here depicts Jim Egan and Jack Nesbit sitting next to a newsstand that features the headline from True New Times in November, 1951. The headline reads “Beginning New Series on Homosexuality.”
Little Toronto | Jackie Shane
Nestled among the alleys in the Distillery District in our Little Toronto destination is a scene
of Jackie Shane performing to a crowd as they dance alongside her charismatic energy and effervescence.
Jackie Shane was a pioneering Black transgender performer who was a prominent figure in Toronto’s R&B scene in the 1960s. Shane moved first to Boston and then to Montreal, where she formed an R&B band with Frank Motley. She moved to Toronto around 1959 and almost immediately felt at home.
As she told the CBC in 2019, “One cannot choose where one is born, but you can choose your home. I chose Toronto. I love Toronto. I love Canadian people. I consider myself a part of them.”
Shane played to sold-out nightclubs in Toronto, such as the Saphire Tavern, and appeared on local music TV shows. She released several singles, including “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “You Are My Sunshine.” Her cover of William Bell’s “Any Other Way” reached No. 2 on the CHUM singles chart in 1963. She also released a live album in 1967 but never recorded a studio album due to her distrust of music labels.
Jackie Shane helped shape what came to be called the “Toronto sound,” a brand of R&B unique to the city. Her 1967 live album, Jackie Shane Live, was reissued in 2015 and made the shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize’s 1960–1970 Heritage Award. Shane is featured in a mural on the side of a building in downtown Toronto, on Yonge Street just south of Carlton Street.
On June 23, 2023, the City of Toronto marked the beginning of Pride weekend by officially declaring it Jackie Shane Day. A Heritage Toronto plaque honouring Shane was also unveiled. It is located at Victoria and Richmond Streets, at the site of the former Saphire Tavern, where Shane often performed.
Little East Coast | Len and Cub
The little scene you see here is inspired by a photo of Joseph Austin “Cub” Coates (left) and Leonard “Len” Olive Keith (right). Many photos of them together show Len and Cub both wearing rings. These may have been a symbol of their love, as they are often seen wearing them together.
Leonard “Len” Olive Keith was born in 1891 into a prominent family in Havelock,New Brunswick. Joseph Austin “Cub” Coates, born in 1899, grew up in neighbouring farming family. Len and Cub knew each other from a young age and attended the same school as children. Based on the photographs preserved at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, they clearly developed an inseparable relationship sometime around 1915.
Len was an amateur photographer and automobile enthusiast who went on to own a local garage and pool hall after serving in the First World War. Cub, also a veteran of the First World War, worked as a butcher and contractor. Their time together is catalogued by Len’s photos which show that the two shared a mutual love of the outdoors, animals, and adventure.
Numerous intimate photographs of Len and Cub on hunting and canoe trips, picnics, and other excursions make clear the affection they held for each other. In some of the photos taken, both Len and Cub also appear with rings on their left hands, which likely symbolized their love for each other.
Their story is one of the oldest photographic records of a same-sex couple in the Maritimes. Although Len was outed and forced to leave Havelock in the 1930s, the story of Len and Cub is one of love and friendship that challenges contemporary ideas about sex and gender expression in the early 20th century.
Mary’s On Davie | Little West Coast
Tucked amongst the streets in our Little West Coast Destination is Mary’s on Davie, formerly known as Hamburger Mary’s. It was a cornerstone of Vancouver’s West End and a trailblazing institution in Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Established in 1979 by local drag icon Gerry Goguen, affectionately known as “Mrs. G,” the diner quickly became a vibrant hub for queer culture, activism, and celebration in the heart of Davie Village.
After facing operational challenges, the restaurant underwent significant renovations and relaunched in 2018 as Mary’s on Davie under new ownership. The new space honored its legacy while introducing modern touches, such as boozy milkshakes and a refreshed menu, transforming it into a “sassy brunch cafe”.
From the beginning, Mary’s was more than just a place to eat, it became a sanctuary for many. Known for its brash and playful atmosphere, the diner provided a safe space for marginalized individuals, particularly within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. After 45 years of service, in March of 2024 Mary’s on Davie closed its doors, marking the end of an era. To this day, Mary’s on Davie remains a symbol of resilience and acceptance, highlighting the vibrant history and journey of Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
This self-guided tour is included in your general admission and suitable for all ages. Whether you are part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, an ally, or simply curious to learn more, we invite you to experience Canada through a new lens, one that shows how even the smallest moments can tell the biggest stories.
Come celebrate Pride with us, one miniature moment at a time. Visit Little Canada today!