The ArQuives has embarked on an exciting partnership with Defining Moments Canada/Moments Déterminants Canada to realize the creation of the resource Proud to Be: Queer Canadian Histories of the 1960s-1970s.

Defining Moments Canada/Moments Déterminants Canada (DMC) is a digital heritage and education organization, leading innovative educational engagement and the commemoration of Canada’s history using twenty-first-century tools and storytelling skills. DMC is dedicated to exploring moments throughout our shared histories by engaging with the lesser-known, often-excluded, and dynamic stories that impart significance and influence. 

“DMC believes in widely sharing diverse stories in engaging and accessible formats, returning previously silenced and unheard voices to the history of Canada. Proud to Be will increase access to queer histories and create free resources to support their inclusion in the classroom. We are grateful and excited to have the support of The ArQuives in the delivery of this project.” – Jenifer Terry, Executive Director at DMC

Proud to Be will shed light on the histories of 2SLGBTQ+ people and communities across Canada in the 1960s and 1970s—decades that were especially fulsome and fraught with impassioned activism and change, as well as harmful retaliation. As a digital heritage nonprofit organization, DMC creates a variety of content available to the public in both English and French, free of charge. The resources created as part of Proud to Be will include digital multimedia archive kits featuring definitional moments from the 1960s and 1970s, supported by lesson plans using our Curatorial Thinking framework, as well as an interactive StoryMap sharing walking tours of historically significant places for queer people across Canada. From the first gay rights protests and Pride marches and the founding of queer presses, theatres, and archives, to the RCMP surveillance of queer people and crackdowns against gay bars, Proud to Be will feature intersectional stories that build context for queer movements and solidarities—as well as their ongoing relevance. 

This initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. In addition to The ArQuives, DMC will collaborate with Esri Canada and look forward to opportunities to engage with other community partners.

 

Read more about the project on DMC’s website.