Actor Elliot Page may be arguably the most well-known LGBTQ person from Atlantic Canada, but he is hardly the only one. This middle grade collective biography profiles more than 50 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals (including Page) from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island (PEI), chronicling their past and present contributions across fields as diverse as activism, writing, arts, entertainment (including drag), education, politics, history, science, sports, and more. Most have some element of queer activism in their work, and many have also created change in other areas, such as environmentalism, indigenous rights, and disability rights.
The people chosen represent identities across the entire 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum, as well as across many racial/ethnic identities. As an American reviewer, I’m ashamed to say I had only known of a couple of people in the book—Page and PWHL goalie CJ Jackson—but was delighted to learn about the many queer people from Atlantic Canada who have made a difference in their local, provincial, national, and world communities.
Numerous callout boxes throughout the book add insight with definitions, history, and resources, while a glossary of terms (LGBTQ and otherwise) at the end provides some overall references. The book joins a series about “Amazing Atlantic Canadians,” and should be a welcome resource, not only in Canada, but (I hope) south of the border as well, where we in the United States should really get to know our neighbors better.
