Design for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument revealed

The LGBTQ2+ National Monument will be a visible landmark in Ottawa commemorating the history of discrimination faced by generations of LGBTQ2+ people in Canada A bold and dynamic design has been chosen for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument to be built in downtown Ottawa. Today, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, as well as the project proponent, the LGBT Purge Fund, unveiled "Thunderhead" as the winning concept. This design draws on the symbolism of a thunderhead cloud, which embodies the strength, activism and hope of LGBTQ2+ communities. It will be a lasting testimony to the courage and humanity of those who were harmed by the LGBT Purge, homophobic and transphobic laws and norms, and Canada's colonial history. Elements include a sculpture that creates the imprint of a thunderhead cloud in mirrored tile, a pathway through a landscaped park that traces the history of LGBTQ2+ people in Canada and a healing circle ringed with stones hand-picked by Two-Spirit Elders. The monument surroundings will allow for large gatherings, performances and places for quiet reflection. "Thunderhead" was conceived by a team based in Winnipeg that includes Liz Wreford, Peter Sampson and Taylor LaRocque of Public City; visual artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan; and Albert McLeod, Indigenous and Two-Spirited...