By Eric Bowling, Edmonton Journal, September 23, 2026
As Edmonton adopts its new Heritage Places Strategy, which council approved on September 8 to replace the 2009 Historic Resource Management Plan, Ron Byers of the Rainbow Story Hub Foundation is pushing to protect the last standing building connected to the city’s early gay bars. The site at 10242 106 Street NW housed a series of queer venues over several decades, from Club 70 through the Boots ‘n Saddle era. Most of Edmonton’s other historic 2SLGBTQ+ gathering places have since been demolished.
Ron has submitted a proposal to add the site to the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources, the first step toward heritage designation. His longer-term vision is to turn the building into a museum of Edmonton’s queer history and a support centre for young 2SLGBTQ+ people. It would give community artifacts a permanent home where people can see them, handle them, and ask questions. The story frames the effort as a test of the new strategy’s commitment to recognizing the histories of underrepresented communities.
Read the article:
Edmonton Journal: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/heritage-places-strategy
Yahoo News Canada (syndicated): https://ca.news.yahoo.com/historian-wants-city-designate-old-195212746.html
Also mentioned in:
Taproot Edmonton, Arts Roundup (Sept. 24, 2026): https://edmonton.taproot.news/roundups/arts/2026/09/24
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Thanks for thinking about us. I worked at Boots. With Allen in the kitchen. We made ManHandlers hamburgers.