ABOUT

The Queer Heritage Initiative of
New Brunswick

(formerly known as the New Brunswick Queer Heritage Initiative) was founded in 2015-2016 by Dusty Green and joined by co-founder, archivist Meredith J. Batt in 2019. The mandate of our organization is to collect and preserve archival records, oral histories and ephemera from 2SLGBTQIA+ groups and individuals from across the province. We also serve to provide public education sessions through hosting panels, talks and workshops on archiving queer material and queer history. We are partnered with the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB), which allows us to preserve our collection within the Archives and to provide a public access point to QHINB materials.

In spring of 2019 the organisation underwent a name change to include a bilingual title. In October 2019, materials previously donated to the organisation (MC6-MC11) were transferred to PANB. QHINB was incorporated on April 4th, 2022, and since then, we have held numerous community events such as oral history panels, workshops, and educational exhibits. QHINB was shortlisted for the 2023 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming, and in December of 2024 we were awarded a $5000 provincial grant from the Department of Tourism Heritage and Culture to put towards the establishment of our website, which will allow us to evolve as an organization and continue our work towards queer history education.

MISSION STATEMENT

We are an archival research initiative that collects and conserves 2SLQBTQIA+ history in New Brunswick, through the preservation of documents, photographs, oral histories, and more.

We also provide opportunities for public education through lectures, exhibitions, publications, and other activities.

MEET OUR FOUNDER

Dusty Green (he/they) grew up in northwest New Brunswick and holds degrees from St. Thomas University and the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. Green has previously worked at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick and the Fredericton Region Museum. He is currently director of communications and marketing at NB Lung. While working at the Provincial Archives, Green came across the photos of Len and Cub and created a photo book that would be the precursor of Len & Cub: A Queer History (2022). Green founded the Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick (QHINB) in 2015.

“I started the Queer Heritage Initiative to address the absence of 2SLGBTQ+ records in New Brunswick’s public institutions. While working in the heritage sector, I noticed a distinct lack of records related to queer history held in our public institutions. This absence left me feeling disconnected from my community and not represented in the history of New Brunswick. By preserving and sharing queer stories, I hoped to ensure that queer New Brunswickers would see themselves reflected in their province's history and feel a stronger sense of belonging, while showing all New Brunswickers that 2SLGBTQ+ people have always been an integral part of this province.”

- DUSTY GREEN

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

Shannon Benjamin

CO-CHAIR

  • Shannon Benjamin (she/her) was born and raised in Amherst, Nova Scotia. She moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick in 2013 to attend St. Thomas University and subsequently the University of New Brunswick. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a Juris Doctor degree. She is currently a lawyer with the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission. During her years as a student, Shannon acted as the Secretary and then President of the St. Thomas University Society for History (STUSH); she also worked with multiple professors who specialized in studying the experiences and histories of 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada. In her spare time, she reads historical fiction novels, crochets, and spends time with her fiancé and three cats. Shannon has been on the Board of QHINB since June 2022.

Adam Schwartz

CO-CHAIR

  • Adam Schwartz (he/she/they) began work with the Queer Heritage Initiative as a student intern during the summer of 2023. He is currently a student at St. Thomas University, where he is pursuing a double honours degree in English Literature and Great Books with a minor in Philosophy. Adam's academic interests include Queer and narrative theory, as well as 20th century literature, which led him to write his undergraduate thesis on the work of Virginia Woolf. He is also an active member of his campus community, where he serves as President of the STU English Society while working for the STU Writing Centre.

Meredith J. Batt

ARCHIVIST-ADVISOR & CO-FOUNDER

  • Meredith J. Batt (they/them) is originally from Sackville/Moncton, New Brunswick and graduated in 2018 with a BA in history from Université de Moncton. They work as an archivist at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick and are the Queer History Research Archivist Advisor for the QHINB Collection. Along with Dusty Green, they helped co-found the organization and oversaw the incorporation and co-authored Len & Cub: A Queer History published in April 2022 by Goose Lane Editions. Their writing has appeared in Xtra! Magazine, Active History and the Canadian Historical Review and a historical fiction short story has been featured in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Collection "A Toast to Hope: Stories at the Center of Us" by Engen Books. In October 2022, they received the Platinum Jubilee Medal for their work in preserving queer history and for public education. Meredith has been accepted to pursue their masters in Archives and Records Management in the Fall of 2025 at University College Dublin, Ireland. Meredith previously served as QHINB's Vice President from 2019-2021, and President from 2021-2024.

Julie Morris

TREASURER

  • Julie Morris (they/them) is the Treasurer for QHINB, and has been a Board member since 2023. They are a professional librarian and PhD student at the University of New Brunswick, with an interest in scholarly communication and knowledge mobilization. In their spare time they can be found cross stitching or hanging out with their cat!

Antoinette Lister

QUEER ELDER ADVISOR

  • Antoinette Lister (they/she) has been involved with many LGBTQIA+ groups in Fredericton over the years, including Fredericton Lesbians and Gays (FLAG), the forerunner of Fierté Fredericton Pride, and various Queer associations at UNB. They possess a B.A. from the University of London, as well as a Doctorat d'Univ from the University of Rennes, and are a retired Associate Professor of French at the University of New Brunswick. They are at the moment the moderator of the Facebook group Fredericton Gender Minorities. In the past, Antoinette's principal research interest was comparative linguistics in French, English and Chinese, while in more recent years they have been researching the history of Queer people in 19th century France, particularly that of French transgender naval officer le Chevalier de Fréminville.

Danielle Maternick

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

  • Danielle Maternick (she/her) joined the QHINB board as a member-at-large in the summer of 2024. Danielle has been a GSA leader in public schools for eight years, and has two decades of experience as an advocate for Queer rights. As a teacher and school counsellor, she has a deep understanding how preserving Queer history can make a difference and is incredibly valuable.

Jayden Williams

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

  • Jayden Williams (they/them) walks a lot. While meandering the shores of a local river as a child, Jayden uncovered a treasure of coloured vintage glass bottles embedded in a muddied bank. With an idea of learning from apparent past(s), they thought they might become an archaeologist. They continued to turn things over, but went onto study psychology and art instead. As they engaged in an art making practice, it became more clear that nothing was clear. They built furniture to keep it real, and have since walked through countless neighbourhoods in Ontario and New Brunswick, delivering mail and generating questions. An inclination to reconsider, and a passion for social justice, are what keep Jayden here. Jayden holds degrees in psychology, fine arts, and art history, and prefers to move slowly. They recently became involved with QHINB as a member-at-large.

Dee Doiron

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

  • Dee Doiron (they/them) is originally from Pointe-Sapin, New Brunswick. Dee was enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces when they were 20 years old in 1985. They were interrogated, intimidated, persecuted, and humiliated because of their orientation, seen as a criminal and a sexual deviant after being forced out of the military in the 1980s as part of the LGBT purge. They experience major depressive disorder, Complex PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks to this day.

    After the military, Dee began a career in photojournalism with the Chronicle Herald in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and finished their 25 year photojournalism career at the National Post. Their photos and stories have appeared in newspapers such as The National Post, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and The Canadian Press, among others. Throughout their career, Dee won numerous awards and published a book of their photos and of students' recollections of the 2017 Ice Storm in their community and in New Brunswick.

    After a turbulent career, Dee returned to their hometown, where their passion for photography never ceased to intrigue them. Their ease of interacting with people allowed them to capture beautiful photos and moments. Dee is an extraordinary person who, with these experiences, has found inner strength and their voice. They continue to advocate for Queer and Transgender Rights, and recently joined the QHINB board as a member-at-large. Their voice will never be silenced again.

Joanna Aiton Kerr

PANB ADVISOR

  • Joanna Aiton Kerr is an ex-officio member of the QHINB Board. As the Provincial Archivist of New Brunswick, her role is to provide assistance, advice and guidance on the preservation and discoverability of archival records that are donated to QHINB.

QHINB’s LOGO

which features purple violets emerging from a pink triangle was created by Mi’gmaw artist Dwight Isaac. The purple violet represents the provincial flower of New Brunswick and is a flower often associated with lesbian women through the Greek poet Sappho who used violets as a symbol of love and beauty. The pink triangle represents the oppression of gay men in Nazi Germany during the Second World War in concentration camps. In later decades of the 20th century, this symbol that had been used to identify and other gay men was reclaimed by queer activists.