An independent Vancouver bookstore known for its place in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community recently received quite an honour from Canada Post as part of Pride month.
Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, located at 1238 Davie St., has been serving its community for over four decades.
The bookstore was featured on a new stamp just unveiled by Canada Post as part of its latest issue of Places of Pride.
“Canada Post’s Places of Pride stamp series honours spaces and events that have shaped 2SLGBTQIA+ history in Canada. In addition to Little Sister’s, this year’s series also featured Metamorphosis, a festival in Saskatoon considered to be the first celebration of queer culture in Western Canada,” a spokesperson shared.
Additionally, the stamp also features The 519, “a pivotal community hub in Toronto and the first City of Toronto community centre run by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”
It also features The Turret, an important cultural spot in Halifax.
Submitted | Canada Post
“The stamp features the portraits [of] store founders Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth as well as long-time store manager, Janine Fuller,” a spokesperson for the bookstore told Daily Hive.
“All three were instrumental in pursuing a decade-long court case against Canada Customs after the queer-themed books that the store was importing were repeatedly seized at the border on the grounds that they were obscene.”
In a blog post, Canada Post said, “This year’s stamps represent iconic places from across the country whose impact and influence continue to be felt today.”
Little Sister’s owner, Parmjot Gill, also had a bit to say about the recognition.
“For the past four decades, Little Sister’s has been a place where the queer community can embrace their identity, find community and celebrate the beauty of being queer,” Gill said.
“This stamp recognizes the incredible courage and commitment that the founders of Little Sister’s, Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth, had in pursuing a decade-long legal battle that resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting the charter rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Canada.”