July 29, 2026-Pride

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026 | A17

Honouring Pride.

Celebrating Community.

A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE

A18 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026

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Honouring Pride.Celebrating Community.

Exhibition highlighting Canada’s LGBT Purge on display at West Vancouver library ABBY LUCIANO

aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wayne Davis was on an upward trajectory at the RCMP.

He joined the Mounties at just 20 years old in 1967. Being on the force took him across the country and he moved up the ranks, eventually landing a role in charge of finance for the RCMP in their admin office in Toronto.

But all that changed in 1985 when his boss called him into his office for a chat.

“He says, ‘You were seen in a gay bar on the weekend, why were you in a gay bar?’” Davis said, reflecting back.

Davis didn’t think there was anything

wrong with the question. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was put in place earlier that year, and being part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community was decriminalized in 1969.

“So I said, ‘Well, I was in a gay bar because I’m gay,’” he said. “The closet is a very tight space and I’d been in it for many years and it was like, ‘Oh good, I can throw this door open at last,’ thinking I [could] still have my career.”

That moment of truth led Davis to his immediate dismissal, with his boss giving him the option to either resign or be fired, and pack up his belongings by 4 p.m. He resigned.

“It was very surreal,” he said. “I was

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‘Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge’ is an exhibition originally from the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Man. AARON COHEN / CMHR

devastated, angry, upset.”

Davis wasn’t alone. The Vancouver resident was one of the roughly 9,000 people impacted by the LGBT Purge, where people from the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the Canadian Armed

Forces, RCMP and federal public service were investigated, harassed and fired through discriminatory policies and practices due to their sexuality between the 1950s to 1990s.

Continued on page 19

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026 | A19

Honouring Pride.Celebrating Community.

Continued from page 18

Davis is sharing his story as part of a larger exhibition coming to the West Vancouver Memorial Library called Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge.

The exhibition was originally put together by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. The selfguided exhibit will be in the West Van library’s main hall, where visitors can learn the history behind the purge and take in first-hand experiences of those involved through 12 visual panels and an audio component.

“The LGBT Purge is an important part of Canadian human rights and workplace history, but not many people know about it,” said Kailash Srinivasan, head of communications at the West Vancouver library. “By hosting this exhibition, we are hoping that the community learns about this chapter and has the space to reflect on it.”

Queer Canadians were falsely constructed as a threat to national security, stemming from concerns in the

Cold War, said Scott de Groot, curator of the exhibition in Winnipeg.

“The LGBT Purge is an important part of Canadian human rights and workplace history, but not many people know about it.”

But survivors fought back. The exhibit also focuses on the activism and resistance of those who battled against those policies.

“Queer Canadians didn’t simply accept what was happening to them,” de Groot said. “This history is not just one of suffering and injustice but also extraordinary courage, resistance and collective action.”

In 2016, a nation-wide class action lawsuit was filed against the Canadian government, with a $145-million settlement reached in 2018. A non-profit called LGBT Purge Fund was created to distribute funds from the settlement.

Then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized for the purge in 2017.

Davis has been a board member for the LGBT Purge Fund for the last eight years and does talks at schools, churches and conferences sharing his experience.

He tells his story to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, he said. Davis will share his experience at the West Vancouver library Aug. 5. And if there’s anything Davis wants to emphasize, it’s that knowledge is power.

“And to hopefully make people into reactors,” he said. “We want to make sure people are aware and everybody should have a little bit of support and allyship in them because that’s very important to making sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge is running at the West Vancouver Memorial Library from July 31 to Sept. 15.”

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News.

This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

Wayne Davis is a survivor of the LGBT Purge, where he was forced to resign from his role with the RCMP. SUBMITTED

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How to celebrate Pride on the North Shore this year ABBY LUCIANO

aluciano@nsnews.com Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Pride on the North Shore is coming in hot this year.

Running July 27 to Aug. 3, the North Shore Pride Alliance is marking Pride Week with the theme of “freedom to be,” bringing in old favourites like the annual Pride at the Pier event as well as new activities like a Heated Rivalry trivia night.

“North Shore Pride Week is about celebrating our diverse community and creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, valued and included,” said Gary Woods, co-founder of the pride alliance.

Things were popping with colour on Monday, July 27, with all three North Shore councils raising the pride flags at their municipal halls, while Heated Rivalry fans had a chance to test their knowledge at a trivia night Tuesday, July 28 at 6 p.m. inside

the Lonsdale Quay Foodhall, hosted by the fabulous duo of GlimmerRouge and Alter.

Parkgate Society is throwing a drag dinner show tonight, July 29, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Parkgate Plaza. This year marks the fifth annual show, serving barbecue style food and featuring performances from Adam Zapple, Homo Hardware and Eden Essance.

On the evening of July 30, expect to see some drag entertainment before Cates Deck turns into a movie theatre playing action film Speed Racer. Woods said the performance will relate to the movie, but it’ll be a surprise until then.

Woods said July 31 is an exciting day at the West Vancouver Memorial Library, where people can take part in Pride Bingo from noon to 2 p.m., hosted by drag queen Carlotta Gurl.

From July 31 to Sept. 15, the library is holding a free pop-up exhibition originally

Gary Woods, co-founder of the North Shore Pride Alliance, is ready to welcome everyone to Pride Week events happening across the North Shore.

PAUL MCGRATH / NSN

from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg called Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge. The West Van library is also hosting a series of talks throughout August, ranging from purge survivor Wayne Davis sharing his story to book talks and history panels.

A pride march will be taking place from Lonsdale Quay to the Shipyards before the grand event, Pride at the Pier, on Aug. 1. Anyone can join in the march, Woods said, with participants asked to meet at the Lonsdale Quay atrium at 4:30 p.m. The Continued on page 21

HAPPY PRIDE! Visit your local library for recommended Pride reads.

NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2026 | A21

Honouring Pride.Celebrating Community.

Continued from page 20

Pride at the Pier celebration will start at 5 p.m. featuring performances, a DJ dance party, a drag show and a market within the Pipe Shop.

“It’s a vibrant gathering place,” Woods said about Pride at the Pier.“With live music, drag, vendors, community organizations and activities for all ages, it’s a great example of the entire North Shore coming together to celebrate diversity and inclusion.”

Last, but certainly not least, North Shore Pride Week is ending off with a pride hangover drag brunch at Khaghan Restaurant near Capilano Mall at noon on Aug. 3. Woods said guests can expect an afternoon of fun, laughter, fantastic performances and delicious food. All proceeds will help support the pride alliance and their year-round work in creating inclusive spaces and programming for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, he said.

Whether it’s your first or 15th Pride, Woods said there’s always something fun to do during Pride Week, adding that

Happy

PRIDE! Celebrating the strength, resilience, and contributions of our 2SLGBTQIA+ residents, staff, and neighbours.

“With live music, drag, vendors, community organizations and activities for all ages, it’s a great example of the entire North Shore coming together to celebrate diversity and inclusion.” he hopes the week’s events also act as a reminder of the need for Pride recognition year-round.

“Pride continues to be a celebration but also a call for inclusion, allyship and action,” he said.“Everyone deserves the freedom to be themselves authentically.

[It’s] about living authentically, feeling safe and knowing that we belong regardless of who we are, gender identity, who we love or what that expression looks like.”

Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News.

This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

EVENT LISTING NORTH SHORE PRIDE WEEK 2026 MONDAY, JULY 27

TUESDAY JULY 28

FLAG RAISING District of North Vancouver - 8:30am District of West Vancouver 12pm City of North Vancouver - 2pm Pop Up Pride Parklet - 3pm

CLASH OF THE QUEENS HEATED RIVALRY TRIVIA NIGHT Lonsdale Quay Food Hall and Mainstay Bar 6pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 PARKGATE PRIDE DRAG DINNER & SHOW Parkgate Community Center 5:30pm-7:30pm

FRIDAY, JULY 31 EXHIBIT LOVE IN A DANGEROUS TIME

West Vancouver Memorial Library Exhibit Opens - 10am DRAG BINGO West Vancouver Memorial Library 12pm

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 Vancouver Pride Parade

THURSDAY, JULY 30 DECKCHAIR CINEMA ‘SPEEDRACER’ DRAG PRE-SHOW Cates Deck / Polygon Gallery Opens at 7pm

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 PRIDE AT THE PIER 2026 Pride March (Quay to Shipyards) Meet @ Lonsdale Quay Atrlum 4:30pm

Pride at the Pler 2026 Shipyards // Shipbuilders Square 5pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 3 PRIDE HANGOVER DRAG BRUNCH Khaghan Restaurant 12pm