Historically, LGBTQ2S+ people who can afford it often move to big cities, where cosmopolitan attitudes usually mean more freedom and acceptance.
But it’s become increasingly appealing to live and work in many of Canada’s smaller communities, some of which have made great strides in the last few years to be safe and welcoming to queer and trans people.
For LGBTQ2S+ travellers, visits to towns, townships and smaller cities can provide a unique, relaxed and picturesque holiday, with better access to nature and, often, more opportunities to interact with locals. Small-town people can be chatty, curious and hospitable in just the right way. To really get to know a country, sometimes you have to take a step outside the concrete jungle.
Though no community is perfect, we found seven communities across Canada that should be on the radar of LGBTQ2S+ travellers exploring Canada. Whether it’s because of their Pride celebrations, queer-friendly businesses, openly LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs and community leaders or just a general progressive and artsy vibe, these places are most definitely worth the drive.
Oh, and they all have charm to spare—who wants to visit a destination that’s welcoming but not so beautiful?
Warkworth, Ontario
About two hours outside Toronto, set amidst rolling hillsides, this town has all the stuff we love to browse during a Saturday afternoon outing: antique stores, tchotchke shops, art galleries, cafés and even a winery—several of them run by out business people. The population of probably less than 1,000 (it’s part of the municipality of Trent Hills, which has a population of about 13,000) includes Canadian fashion legend/gay icon Jeanne Beker, who reportedly loves Cheeky Bee Candle Company (23 Main St., Warkworth). The historic town hall, recently renamed Warkworth Town Hall Centre for the Arts (40 Main St., Warkworth), hosts many events including the Lilac Festival, held in May, and the Maple Syrup Festival, held in March. About a 30-minute drive away from the village, Elmhirst’s Resort (1045 Settlers Line, Keene), which has 30 cottages on the banks of Rice Lake, is certified LGBTQ2S+ friendly through the Canadiana Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s Rainbow Registered program. And it offers spa services.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Attitudes in Canada’s smallest and cutest province has changed dramatically since its government fought same-sex marriage in the early 2000s. Islanders even voted in a gay premier in 2015, making Wade MacLauchlan Canada’s first elected openly gay premier. The capital, with a population of about 36,000 people, now has rainbow crosswalks and a lively Pride festival each July. It punches way above its weight in arts and culture, especially in the summer. The imposingly Brutalist Confederation of the Arts building (145 Richmond St., Charlottetown) is home to a fine art gallery, which has featured work by queer artists like Kent Monkman and Micah Lexier, and the Charlottetown Festival—the provincial obsession with musical theatre ensures a population of singers, actors, dancers, costume designers and makeup artists. Though there are no gay bars, the P.E.I. Gay Tourism Association lists many LGBTQ2S+-friendly accommodations, attractions and eateries. And there just may be gay nudists at Blooming Point Beach, on a massive protected dune about a 30-minute drive outside Charlottetown.
Nelson, British Columbia
Surrounded by mountains? Check. Beautifully preserved historic buildings? Check. Long history of being countercultural? Check. Though no longer a hippie haven, the city of Nelson, population 11,000, has always had a soft spot for people who march to the beat of their own drum. Its Kootenay Pride was the first Pride in North America to be held outside a major metropolitan centre. The Royal (330 Baker St., Nelson) is a stylish neighbourhood pub that regularly hosts queer events—but in a place like Nelson, it’s certainly not the only spot that’s brewing its own beer. Definitely for queers with a tree-hugging, social justice bent, but attractive to anyone who loves a floral print.
Jasper, Alberta
Nestled high in the Rocky Mountains of Canada’s most conservative province, Jasper is a town of about 5,000 people that openly declares its LGBTQ2S+-friendly status. “Jasper is a place where we are proud to welcome the world and we feel absolutely free to embrace every colour in the rainbow,” declares mayor Richard Ireland. Its Pride, which in 2024 will be held April 5 to 14, is certainly extra—it includes a down-hill ski festival. If you want to perhaps run into Pride cofounder Lynn Wannop, swing by her business, Coco’s Café (608 Patricia St., Jasper), for a coffee and some sourdough bread. Pride’s other co-founder, Jordan Tucker, runs Jasper Events; destination wedding, anyone?
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Since this is the largest community on our list, with a population of almost 170,000, we can hear your protests—it’s a medium-sized city and shouldn’t count! But we’re including Sherbrooke, which has a Pride festival and a gay bar, Le Shooter (720 Rue King E., Sherbrooke), because it’s the hub for the Eastern Townships, a very pretty, very welcoming region of Quebec that’s less than two hours south of Montreal. You can stay at Rainbow Registered Delta Hotels Sherbrooke Conference Centre and explore the region’s 13 “coeurs villageois” (charming villages) on the hunt for artisanal foods, fresh produce, local wine, chic fashion and tchotchkes. The village of Sutton is particularly adorable—and particularly LGBTQ2S+-friendly; on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia each May 17, they fly the Progress flag.
Bloomfield/Picton, Prince Edward County, Ontario
These two communities—a village of 600 people and a town of 4,700 people, respectively—are located on what is essentially an island in Lake Ontario, about a two and a half hour’s drive from Toronto. Together, they do an impressive balance between rustic and stylish, partly with the help of so many artsy LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs who move here to escape the urban rat race. A French gay couple runs the gallery Maison Depoivre (Base 31, Barrack #3, 343 County Rd. 22, Picton), but that’s only one of several Rainbow Registered businesses. Inclusivity, and lots of rainbows, are part of the annual PECelebrates Festival each summer. There are wineries, distilleries and boutiques galore.
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
Fancy getting away from it all to a beautiful island with a good climate and even better vibes? Potters, painters, stained-glass and basket makers, woodworkers, quilters and paper makers started moving to this island off the east coast of Vancouver Island in the 1960s, hoping to create a better world. And many of these hippy idealists were, of course, LGBTQ2S+. The tradition continues today amongst the population of about 10,000 souls. The local queer and trans group Pride All Year hosts multiple social, educational and health-related events almost every month, as well as a Pride festival each summer. The gay-owned Salt Spring Inn (132 Lower Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island) is both a lovely place to stay and to eat, while the Harbour House Hotel (121 Upper Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island) is Rainbow Registered.
