Thunderhead LGBTQ monument unveiled in Ottawa

A new national monument named ‘Thunderhead’ was officially unveiled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on August 21, 2026. The sculpture honors LGBTQ Canadians who faced government-sanctioned discrimination and persecution, specifically during the ‘LGBT Purge’—a period between the 1950s and mid-1990s when members of the military, the RCMP, and the civil service were systematically harassed or dismissed due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Louise Arbour, and Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez. The project was funded by a settlement from a class-action lawsuit won by 719 Purge survivors in 2018, with $15 million allocated for the monument’s design and construction.

Designed by a Winnipeg-based team including artists Shawna Dempsey, Lorri Millan, Liz Wreford, and Peter Sampson, along with cultural adviser Albert McLeod, the monument was selected from 31 international submissions. It is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.