Thunderstorm clouds are gathering near the Library and Archives Canada building in downtown Ottawa, but these clouds are not bringing rain and lightning. Instead, they symbolize celebration and reflection for the new national 2SLGBTQ+ monument known as Thunderhead.
Thunderhead stands as a roughly nine-meter white column featuring rounded cloud-shaped openings. Todd Ross, co-chair of the LGBT Purge Fund, described the monument as having inverted clouds inside the pillar, enhanced with mirrored tiles to give it a disco ball effect.
Situated close to Wellington Street and the Portage Bridge intersection, Thunderhead aims to acknowledge the discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQ+ individuals across Canada, particularly during the Canadian government’s prolonged campaign known as the LGBT purge.
During the 1950s to the mid-1990s, the government conducted investigations and expelled numerous employees from the RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces, and federal public service due to their sexual orientation. Ross himself was discharged from the Canadian navy in 1990 due to his homosexuality, leading him to join a class-action lawsuit against the government. The funds from the lawsuit supported the design and construction of the monument.
Designed by a team based in Winnipeg and led by Liz Wreford of Architects Public City, Thunderhead symbolizes destruction and renewal through the concept of thunderclouds. The monument’s skylight and column openings allow sunlight to create a colorful kaleidoscope within the mirrored interior, with flickering lights mimicking lightning flashes during a storm.
The surrounding park aims to shed light on Canada’s history of anti-2SLGBTQ+ discrimination, featuring an interpretive wall detailing this history and a healing circle composed of thirteen stones selected by two-spirit elders from each province and territory.
Michelle Douglas, executive director of the LGBT Purge Fund, described the park as a place for reflection and celebration, highlighting its significance as a beacon of hope. The site also serves as a living monument, recognizing past discrimination while looking towards a more inclusive future.
In addition to the monument, the site includes a stage and spaces for performances and gatherings. Ross envisions the monument and park as versatile spaces for both celebration and protest, offering a place for people to gather during challenging times.
The official opening ceremony of Thunderhead will be attended by Gov.-Gen. Louise Arbour, with Capital Pride 2026 set to commence the following day and run until August 30.
