Help Shape the Future of The ArQuives / Contribuez à façonner l’avenir d’ArQuives

Note : Français à venir.

The ArQuives: Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Archives is entering an exciting new chapter. Through Community Ties: Our Future Together, we invite you to help shape what comes next.

This is a pivotal moment for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada. As challenges to queer and trans rights grow both globally and locally, it’s more important than ever to protect, celebrate, and share our stories. The ArQuives has served 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada since 1973, and is now reimagining how it can continue and strengthen that work over the next 50 years.

With funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada, we are continuing this national conversation to better understand how The ArQuives can grow its impact and remain responsive to the diverse communities it supports.

Community Conversations / Les conversations communautaires

In 2025, we completed the first phase of this work, hosting 12 in-person community consultations in cities across Canada, holding three online sessions, and conducting nearly two dozen one-on-one interviews with community leaders. Each session included opportunities for relationship building and networking, a brief presentation on The ArQuives, and interactive ways to share feedback.

We’re now entering the second phase, focused on refining priorities, deepening relationships, and identifying emerging community needs. Together, we aim to ensure The ArQuives can continue to meaningfully serve communities across Canada.

These community consultations will include approximately 12 participants and are discussion-based, with opportunities for both spoken and written feedback. These sessions will be audio recorded, and input will be summarized to inform organizational planning; individual responses will not be attributed without consent. Sessions will be facilitated by external facilitators with support from staff.

The sessions in Halifax, Charlottetown, Saskatoon, Vancouver, and Toronto will be conducted in English, and the session in Montréal will be conducted primarily in French with a bilingual facilitator (English and French).

All consultations will be held in buildings with ramps, handrails, and/or elevators with standard accessible elevator platforms and door openings. Additional accessibility accommodations are available upon request through the registration form or by contacting the project coordinator, Nico Mara-McKay.

Register to Participate

Join us for an upcoming session:

Space and honoraria are limited. Confirmation of participation and location information will be sent within one week of the consultation date.

Please share this link widely with others in your community, especially those from historically marginalized communities.

Registration will remain open until sessions are full.

Who Should Participate?

We want to hear from:

  1. 2SLGBTQIA+ community members who already are or might be interested in our programming;
  2. researchers, academics, and media who already or might use The ArQuives’ collections in their work; and
  3. partner organizations, including libraries, archives, museums, arts and heritage organizations, cultural institutions, and other 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations.

The ArQuives values diversity and is committed to addressing historical inequities within our organization. We especially encourage participation from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities that have been systematically marginalized, including from rural communities and those who are Indigenous, women, trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, Black, people of colour, newcomers, and persons with disabilities. We’re hoping to have a wide range of conversations, including young adults and older members of our communities.

Honoraria

Honoraria are available to community members for whom attending is not part of their professional duties. In-person participants will receive a $50 honorarium through e-transfer or cheque following the consultation.

Thanks for your support! / Merci de votre soutien !

Together, we can shape the future of The ArQuives and build a more inclusive legacy for generations to come.

Ensemble, nous pouvons façonner l’avenir des ArQuives et construire un futur plus inclusif pour les générations à venir.