Active History

by Meredith J Batt and Jess Wilton

The queer history of Atlantic Canada is embedded in the region’s landscape and its people. As we guide you across the region exploring some queer nooks and crannies along the way, we will introduce you to the way queer pasts, presents, and futures collide and overlap. 

It’s spring and we begin in Northern New Brunswick. The trees along the majestic Wolastoq River (St. John) have begun to bud. Meredith is driving as they guide us through our first leg. Sometimes called the “Drive Through Province,” 2SLGBTQ+ New Brunswickers have created strong networks for decades and have memories of fun and frolicking that are not to be missed! As we approach the pulp mill town of Edmundston in the heart of la territoire brayonne, we see Fort Kent across the water. This was the site of meetings for the Northern Lambda Nord (NLN) group founded in January 1980, which provided support for rural 2SLGBTQ+ folks. NLN had members from both Maine and Northern New Brunswick; they even published a bilingual newsletter to let community members know about events.   

by Jess Wilton

Cradled by the Atlantic Ocean, the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland and Labrador occupy a unique place in queer and Canadian history. “Queering Atlantic Canada: Stories, Histories, and Archives of Atlantic Canada” is an ActiveHistory.ca series guest edited by Jess Wilton. Over the next year, this series will offer an introduction to the work of activists, archivists, historians, community members, and artists in the region as we come together to share our stories and preserve our histories. This first post offers a brief foundation to the history of Atlantic Canada and its queer pasts.