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."

Enter Club Carousel

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:

Watch Lois Szabo tell her story of coming out in 1960s Calgary

8 years ago

Duration 3:44

"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. 

Szabo 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," Szabo 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.

Stamping Canadian history

Beginning May 30, the stamps will be available to purchase at canadapost.ca 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."