Preserving our history
The Niagara Queer Archive is a community-driven project dedicated to cataloguing, curating, and preserving the stories of LGBTQ2S+ people across the Niagara region.
Our goal is to make Niagara queer history visible, accessible, and connected. From personal stories and photographs, newspaper articles to community events and activist movements, every piece contributes to a larger picture of who we are and how we’ve shaped Niagara, and contributed to a larger global story.
Why a Queer Archive?
Queer stories have too often been overlooked, erased, or hidden in mainstream histories. Without deliberate effort, the lives and contributions of LGBTQ2S+ people in Niagara risk being forgotten.
This archive exists to ensure those stories are remembered, respected, and accessible. They are not only part of our past but also a resource for the future—evidence of resilience, joy, struggle, and community. Preserving them today means that future generations will have the proof and perspective they need to understand where we’ve come from, and where we are going.
We believe Queer history is living history. That’s why the archive is both digital and physical, with opportunities to share in-person through a monthly storytelling series.
Everyone in our community has a story. Together, we’re making sure those stories are remembered.
Because, who knows what the future holds?
Principles
The archive is built on three principles:
Catalogue — to gather and record the documents, stories, and materials that make up our shared history.
Curate — to organize these entries into meaningful collections to tell stories that reflect our diverse identities and experiences.
Preserve — to ensure these histories are cared for and carried forward for future generations.
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We believe Queer history is living history. That’s why the archive is both digital and physical, with opportunities to share in-person through a monthly storytelling series.
Everyone in our community has a story. Together, we’re making sure those stories are remembered.
