LET’S participated in a community conversation that took place with The ArQuives.
The event was run by the project coordinator at The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives, which is entering its 52nd year. The ArQuives is the only institution dedicated exclusively to the collection, preservation, and public access of Canadian LGBTQ2+ life and history.
The ArQuives is gearing up for an exciting new chapter and wants us to be part of it! With support from Women and Gender Equality Canada, they launched Community Ties: Our Future Together, a community consultation initiative to strengthen our organization and expand our impact across Canada.
They are starting a national conversation about how The ArQuives can best serve communities across Canada over the next 50 years. In February and March, they hosted intimate, in-person gatherings in 12 cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, St. John’s, Vancouver, Whitehorse, Winnipeg, and Yellowknife. Bilingual facilitators conducted sessions in Ottawa, Montreal, and Fredericton to serve Francophone participants in those cities.
In each city, they were gathering 15 LGBTQ2+ community members to share challenges, hopes and dreams related to how we Keep Our Stories Alive. There was a short presentation and friendly facilitation by The ArQuives, and an opportunity to participate in collaborating to make a zine that captures what makes our community great!
While in Vancouver, they wanted to reach out to and meet: LGBTQ2+ community members who already are or might be interested in our programming and researchers, academics, and media who already or might use The ArQuives’ collections in their work. They also sought out partner organizations, including libraries, archives, museums, arts and heritage organizations, cultural institutions, and other LGBTQ2+ organizations.