Places of Pride
How do you design for the places where a movement found itself?
For the second year of Canada Post's Places of Pride stamp series, Intents & Purposes partnered once again with illustrator Tim Singleton to celebrate sites that helped shape 2SLGBTQIA+ life in Canada.
The challenge was not only to depict buildings, landmarks, or events. It was to capture the energy, the courage, and the sense of belonging that transformed these places into catalysts for community and long-term change.
Honouring The 519 in Toronto, Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium in Vancouver, The Turret in Halifax, and Metamorphosis in Saskatoon, the 2026 issue continues a national series recognizing the spaces where queer people gathered, organized, celebrated, created, and fought for visibility.
At the heart of the work is Tim’s illustration. Drawing from archival research, historical references, and community stories, Tim developed a series of vibrant compositions that weave together architecture, people, symbols, and moments of collective action. Each illustration balances historical specificity with a sense of warmth and optimism, inviting viewers to see these sites not as relics of the past, but as living chapters in Canada's ongoing story.
Our role was to help shape a cohesive design system across the series, ensuring each stamp could stand on its own while contributing to a larger narrative about queer resilience and belonging. Working closely with Canada Post, historians, and community advisors, we sought to create a visual language that honoured the significance of these places without reducing them to monuments. The focus remained firmly on the people who gave them meaning.
Across both years of the project, Places of Pride has celebrated eight sites and cultural landmarks that helped define 2SLGBTQIA+ history in Canada. The result is a collection that feels commemorative without being nostalgic, educational without being didactic, and joyful without overlooking the struggles that made these spaces necessary.
For us, the project demonstrates the unique power of illustration to tell layered stories. Through Tim's work, history becomes personal, accessible, and alive. The stamps invite Canadians not only to learn about these places, but to imagine the countless conversations, acts of courage, and moments of connection that unfolded within them.
Because queer history doesn't only live in legislation or archives. Sometimes it lives in a bookstore. A community centre. A nightclub. A festival.
And sometimes, it fits on a stamp.
