Date: 21 September 2026
Location: 201 Wellington Street, Ottawa, by Portage Bridge

The Thunderhead Monument is the only national monument of its kind and recognizes the historic discrimination faced by generations of 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada. The funds for this monument are a gift from LGBT Purge Survivors to 2SLGBTQ+ communities. The LGBT Purge was a federal government campaign that systematically hunted, harassed, and fired LGBT member of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and the federal public service from the 1950’s to the mid-1990s. These funds would have gone to Purge victimes had they lived long enough to make a claim in the successful class action lawsuit launched by survivors against the Government of Canada. Their legacy lives on in the Thunderhead Monument. MNAC-Ottawa Unit member BGen Roger Scott, OMM, CStJ, CD, PhD, FCAN, NP, (Ret’d) attended the opening ceremonies where he met up with his former boss, the current Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jennie Carignan. CMM, MSC, MSM, CD. The opening ceremony on 21 September was attended by Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Lise Arbour, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Former Member of Parliament Svend Robinson, Parliamentarians, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Invited members and most importantly, many LGBT Purge Survivors. Later the same evening, a party was held at the monument to continue the celebrations hosted by Priyanka and Maxence Garneau.