Stories

Author: Darrin Hagen

THE HILL: The Secret Edge of Downtown

Darrin Hagen

MacDonald Drive has overlooked the river valley from Edmonton’s earliest incarnation, marking the south edge of downtown, a steep bank…

Pantages and The Strand

Darrin Hagen

Edmonton came by its reputation as a theatre city honestly, and more than once over the last century. At one…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: John Kerr – Dance for Gramma

Darrin Hagen

In the years before John Reid launched his career as owner of Flashback, Edmonton’s first gay disco, he worked cleaning…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Michael Phair – LGBTQ2S+ Activist and Community Leader

Darrin Hagen

As of this writing, Michael is one of the few men charged as a “found-in” to speak publicly on the…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Dr. Henri Toupin – Dignity in the Eye of the Storm

Darrin Hagen

Henri Toupin was born in Legal, Alberta, on March 15, 1923. He acquired his B.Sc. in 1947 from the University…

After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Millie – I’m Number One

Darrin Hagen

Paul Chisholm’s first contact with another gay man occurred as he hitchhiked out of Saskatchewan in the late 1960s. Legend…

The Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Igniting Four Decades of Activism

Darrin Hagen

After the Pisces Health Spa opened in Edmonton in 1978, word spread quickly that it was the best-kept gay bathhouse…

10024-102 Street: Rony’s / Dapple Gray Cafe / Appleby / Cheddars / Cafe Elite

Darrin Hagen

The central downtown neighbourhood south of Jasper Avenue but north of the river valley was a small but busy hub…