Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa

Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.

Shovels have hit the ground for construction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.

The historic milestone was commemorated at an event on Wednesday afternoon hosted by the LGBT Purge Fund with the monument's design team and attended by representatives from the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation and the federal government.

The monument, called Thunderhead, is being built to commemorate and honour the victims of Canada's LGBTQ2S+ purge and others in the community who have been marginalized for who they are.

The monument will be built in Ottawa, on a portion of land tucked behind the Supreme Court of Canada at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Portage Bridge to Quebec, close to the Ottawa River.

The design was conceived by a team based in Winnipeg, and includes architecture firm Public City Inc.’s Liz Wreford, Peter Sampson and Taylor LaRocque; visual artists Dempsey and Lorri Millan; and Indigenous and two-spirit adviser Albert McLeod.

Based on the current design plans, the monument will have a curved wall at the opening of the site that includes information about the purge. The structure features two levels that allow visitors to view it from the ground and from above, as well as a fire pit meant for small gatherings or vigils, and a larger stage that can be used for bigger events or performances.