Latest news with #2SLGBTQIA+
Cision Canada
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
The CCM x Erin Ambrose 2025 collection: hockey's never felt this real Français
CCM Hockey, a leading manufacturer of high-performance hockey equipment and apparel, teams up with hockey star Erin Ambrose for a second time to unveil a new iteration of their exclusive Erin Ambrose 23 collection. MONTRÉAL, June 2, 2025 /CNW/ - CCM Hockey and PWHL hockey star Erin Ambrose are taking their collaboration to the next level as they return with a powerful new iteration of CCM x Erin Ambrose 23. This limited-edition collection co-created by the number 23 of the Montréal Victoire celebrates the evolution of hockey and the powerful connections between the game, the players and the fans. The collaboration shines a light on Erin's influence and support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities on and off the ice. The second drop features new limited-edition apparel, from graphic tees to stylish hoodies and joggers, and adds new style and support to the first collection. It is a call to make hockey a space for self-expression that welcomes everyone. "With the 2025 Erin Ambrose 23 collection, we wanted to bring hockey into a space where it hasn't traditionally had a strong presence," Marrouane Nabih, CEO, CCM Hockey. "It goes beyond the rink, showcasing authenticity, style and a sense of belonging. Erin isn't just a collaborator—she's a force who's transforming her sport. Through CCM x Erin Ambrose 23, we're celebrating her voice, her leadership and the impact she's having on inclusivity in hockey." Erin Ambrose, Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion and the reigning PWHL Defender of the Year, embodies a new era of hockey: unapologetic, inclusive and proud. "Sports haven't always been welcoming for everyone," said Ambrose. "Today, we're creating spaces where everyone can feel they belong. CCM x Erin Ambrose 23 is about inspiring new dynamics, where authenticity is a strength. Women's sports are drawing fans who've never felt the rink was for them. This collection is for them. It's where I can be myself, and they can too." CCM x Erin Ambrose 23 wants everyone to claim their place in hockey—on the ice, in the stands and everywhere the sport lives and breathes. Available in limited quantities online and in select stores, the collection offers a chance for fans to express what hockey means to them and show their support, and it's never felt this real. About CCM Hockey CCM Hockey is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of hockey equipment. With its headquarters located in Montreal, the company has operations in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. CCM Hockey equips more professional hockey players than any other company, including NHL and PWHL stars like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby, Thatcher Demko, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Sarah Nurse, Taylor Heise and Erin Ambrose. CCM Hockey is also an official supplier of the PWHL, and the official outfitter of the American Hockey League, the Canadian Hockey League, and several NCAA and National teams.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stamp set commemorates Calgary's first gay bar among other queer moments in Canadian history
A new stamp from Canada Post is commemorating the story of Calgary's first gay bar, Club Carousel, as part of a series of stamps featuring significant moments and places that shaped 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across the country. The series, called Places of Pride, also features the stories of Truxx, a bar in Montréal's gay village; the 1971 Gay Day Picnic in Toronto; and the 1990 North American Native Gay and Lesbian Gathering in Manitoba, where the term "Two-Spirit" was first introduced and adopted. Bronwyn Graves, the director of stamp services at Canada Post, said that while the selection process was tough, Club Carousel stood out as a unique female-led queer space. "When we're looking at queer history in Canada, very often the narrative tends to focus on men's experiences, especially in those early years," she said. "So it was a really wonderful opportunity for us to highlight queer women's role in terms of queer history and this ongoing fight for equality." The club opened March 20, 1970, less than a year since a bill had been passed in Ottawa decriminalizing homosexuality in Canada. Located on First Street southwest between 12th and 13th avenues, it quickly grew from about 20 members to a safe and inclusive haven for hundreds of folks in Calgary's queer community. Lois Szabo, the last surviving founder of Club Carousel, vividly remembers the joy on the faces of the young people who would frequent the club. "You know, these guys were out on the streets and then living their lives closeted seven days of the week — or at least six of them. And then one night of the week, they came to the club. They came down the stairs and the looks on their face, you know, they were just so happy. "It was just worth every minute." Now at 89-years-old, Szabo is regarded as a pioneer in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. In 2021, the city named a park after her, the Lois Szabo Commons in Calgary's Beltline neighbourhood. Szabo came out as gay in 1964, and soon after, teamed up with local activist Jack Loenen to establish the club. WATCH | Lois on coming out and opening Club Carousel: "There weren't very many places that gay people felt safe in and that was why the club was needed," she told CBC News in a previous interview. The club didn't have a liquor licence, so club-goers would bring their own drinks, and a private members-only policy was in place to ensure the community would feel safe from harassment. "I'd say it [was] sort of the dawn of the organized gay community in Calgary. This space was so important," said Kevin Allen, research lead for the Calgary Gay History Project. "It saved lives and brought community together in a way that had never happened in Calgary before." Allen said he was delighted and proud to see Calgary's Club Carousel included in Canada Post's collection of stamps. "I think it's a really important nod to our history and our role in the nation's history for LGBTQ+ rights," he said. While the club closed its doors in the late 1970s, its legacy lives on through the stories of those who found acceptance within its walls. Sbazo recalls that a man in his 70s once approached her and said, "I just have always wanted to thank you. You saved my life. You and that club saved my life… I've never forgotten it." "So I think maybe we did some good," Sbazo said. "I like to think we did, anyway." Szabo said sharing its story for Canada's Post's stamp series is a way to recognize not just her, but to honour the founders and volunteers who have passed. Beginning May 30, the stamps will be available to purchase at and select postal outlets across Canada. While Canada Post stamps have featured queer people and themes before, Graves said this series is the first deep dive into queer history for the Crown corporation. "We pride ourselves as being one of Canada's storytellers and that's a heavy responsibility," Graves explained. "That means telling stories that everybody knows, but it also means looking at the voices in the histories and the stories that have not been told. And when we looked at the past 25, 50 years of stamp storytelling, there were a lot of really amazing queer stories out there that we wanted to tell as part of the stamp series."
Cision Canada
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
New stamp set showcases pivotal moments in Canada's 2SLGBTQIA+ history Français
Stamp issue features four Places of Pride stamps honouring influential sites across the country OTTAWA, ON, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Today Canada Post announces Places of Pride, recognizing four vital places for 2SLGBTQIA+ in Canada. From early meeting spots to safe spaces for community organizing, these spaces were often the backdrop to pivotal demonstrations and hosted events that shaped 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across the country – and Canadian society. The four stamps honour the following locations and events: Club Carousel, Calgary's first gay bar, which created an innovative members-only policy and established a space for the community to gather free from harassment (magazine story; video). Truxx, a popular bar in Montréal's gay village where a 1977 police raid – and resulting widespread protests – led to legislation barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (magazine story; video). Hanlan's Point Beach in Toronto, where the 1971 Gay Day Picnic was held – considered the first major gathering of queer people in Canada and an early example of what we now know as Pride (magazine story; video). The 3 rd North American Native Gay & Lesbian Gathering in 1990 near Beausejour, Man., where the term "Two-Spirit" was first introduced and adopted (magazine story; video). Each stamp shines a light on a particular moment and location, its significance then and now, and its role in working toward equality and freedom for all. For more information about the historic significance of each location, including video, visit our online magazine. About the stamp issue The Places of Pride stamps feature illustrations that capture turning points in the history of the 2SLGBTQIA+ rights movement in Canada. The stamp issue is designed by Kelly Small of Intents & Purposes Inc., illustrated by Tim Singleton and printed by Colour Innovations. The issue includes a booklet of eight Permanent™ domestic rate stamps and four Official First Day Covers. The stamps and collectibles will be available at and at select postal outlets across Canada beginning on May 30. Links to images of the stamps and other resources are below. Note that these will be added on the stamp's featured day: TM Trademark of Canada Post Corporation.
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Trauma, violence-informed primary care key to London hospital's planned clinic
A new clinic set to open later this year aims to fill a longtime healthcare gap faced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in London. St. Joseph's Health Care London (SJHCL) announced that a primary health care clinic specializing in trauma and violence-informed care will open at St. Joseph's Hospital, with a focus on women and children affected by intimate partner violence and sexual crimes. The Trauma and Violence Specialized Primary Care Clinic will be located on the hospital's fourth floor and open in the coming months, SJHCL unveiled on Wednesday. St. Joseph's officials are heralding it as a first-of-its-kind in Canada. The clinic is more than a decade in the making and will connect survivors to the kind of primary health care many may not have access to. It will also "fill a significant gap in the community, particularly for racialized individuals, those with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people," SJHCL said in a statement. More than half of the people visiting St. Joseph's Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Program have no primary care physician, said Dr. Susan McNair, the program's medical director. "It's unique in that we are looking at trauma as an entity here, where often the outcome of difficult, traumatic events play out in different health ways," McNair said. Instead of focusing on an individual outcome of that trauma, such as addiction, "this program is identifying individuals with trauma and responding then to the unique needs of trauma survivors," she said. That includes helping them understand how that trauma is linked to their current health situation. People who experience significant early-life trauma come with a significantly higher risk of addiction and chronic health conditions later in life. "One of the things we'll study is, when we help people to understand that link and reduce some of that self-blame, does it lead to better outcomes?" she said. Such clinics can help in rebuilding trust While many healthcare professionals use a trauma-informed approach, having a clinic dedicated to and named for trauma and violence-informed care is an opportunity to connect with those reluctant to seek healthcare, said Chuck Lazenby, executive director of Unity Project. The agency provides emergency shelter, housing stability, and supportive housing services to those experiencing homelessness, among them domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. "Certainly folks who access our services, or you know, who are experiencing homelessness or are street-involved, have a significant distrust of the medical system," said Lazenby. "Programs like this can help rebuild that trust, especially when it's a recognition of a person's experience of trauma and violence and coming from that trauma-informed approach. It's really necessary for folks that we see to be able to access supports like that." The new clinic is being launched with the help of $3.82 million in provincial funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, announced in the last several weeks, which will cover the next two-and-a-half years. Staffed with at least four physicians and two social workers, it's anticipated the clinic will serve around 600 people in its first two years, with patients initially referred from within the hospital. Patients considered for referral would be those with no family doctor who have a history of "significant adverse childhood experiences, or significant adult events of trauma," McNair said. Along with its role as a primary care clinic, it will also serve as a source of research regarding trauma survivors and their primary care needs — research that can be used to teach future healthcare staff and inform treatment decisions elsewhere at the hospital.
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Groups spend day to honour 2SLGBTQIA+ cleaning up around Finlay Bridge
The Prairie Pride Guild of Medicine Hat & District was joined Saturday by the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association for the second annual cleanup of Finlay Bridge and area in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The day, initiated in 2004, aims to draw awareness to the struggles faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals both close to home and around the world. The date, May 17, was selected to commemorate May 17, 1990, when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. To hold space for the date, the Prairie Pride Guild organized a cleanup of Finlay Bridge and the surrounding area. 'This day is, of course, to bring awareness to the discrimination and violence that the 2ALGBTQIA+ community faces, and so we just wanted to do something good in the community, give back and also hold space and raise awareness for those people,' said Kimberly Large, a director with the Guild. This year, they were joined by a number of allies from the MHSA, who pledged their afternoon despite the drizzle to doing some good in the city they call home. 'We are just so happy to be out here and support what the Guild has going on. We just came in as a support, we believe in what they're doing,' said Davie James with MHSA. 'We're collecting trash. We're going to go cook some hot dogs after. We're always super grateful when we see community groups in motion, out there making a change and really being a part of said community.' The turnout to this year's cleanup was significantly larger than the prior year, noted Large, and they hope this is a sign of things to come for being able to do their part in the city and to stand proud as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies.
