Guided Tour of the Thunderhead Monument

Called Thunderhead, the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument recently opened in downtown Ottawa to recognize discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQI+ people, including the colonial roots of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and the cruelty of the Canadian government during the LGBT Purge. The project celebrates the resilience of all queer and trans communities and serves to inspire the change still needed in Canada.

The design – conceived by Winnipeg’s Public City Architecture with artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan and Two-Spirit advisor Albert McLeod – is unabashedly queer. Come explore the site, which includes a massive mirror-clad column, a tribute area, a medicinal garden, a fruit orchard and a sacred fire ringed by stones collected by Indigiqueer Elders and community members. Join us to learn about the activism and the design and engagement processes that resulted in this remarkable project.

Start time: 11:30 AM

Number of participants: 20

Duration: 30 minutes