January, in Calgary, can be a cold month. Bringing some warmth and frolicking good times in January 1977 was “Winter Wonderland,” the Imperial Court of the Chinook Arch’s first Coronation Ball.
The Calgary Gay History Project was fortunate to interview Dale Campbell this week. Active in the early years of Calgary’s court system—now called the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch (ISCCA)—he shared photos and memories of that first Coronation ball.
{Note: the ISCCA is still going strong and will be hosting Coronation 47 this April at the Hyatt. Click here to read a short history of the storied organization in Calgary.}
Dale, also known then as Countess Dixie Lee Ann, has fond memories of the parties (sometimes boozy) and the camaraderie of the 1970s gay community. Yet, soberingly, many individuals in these early Court photos would later be lost to AIDS.
Here are a few snapshots of those early years.
Countess Dixie Lee Ann with Empress 1 Veronica Dawn
Calgary’s first Coronation Ball
The Coronation of Emperor 1 Jack and Empress 1 Veronica Dawn
Emperor 1 Jack Loenen wearing his signature leather vest
Thank you, Dale, for sharing your memories and these images!
Today is a holiday for many in the world. From my secular angle, Epiphany, or January 6th, represents the conclusion of the Christmas holidays. In 2015, I wrote: “I just looked up the meaning of epiphany and it means “manifestation” which I think will be the running theme for the Calgary Gay History Project.”
The Calgary Gay History Project has done manifesting well. Check out our top ten list: here.
In 2023, our manifestation priority is developing the Calgary queer archives. Since the Project was founded in 2012, we have been accepting donations of papers and artifacts about Calgary’s 2SLGBTQ+ past. They now need to be accessioned appropriately in a professional archive—likely at the U of C—to be made available to future researchers. (And to free up some floor space in our apartment…)
A portion of the Calgary Queer Archives stored at home and loosely catalogued.
One of our favourite objects in the archive is Jack’s vest! Jack Loenen was the first Emperor of the Imperial Court of the Chinook Arch (ISCCA), elected to that position in January 1977 to a sold-out crowd at the then-downtown Holiday Inn. He wore this leather vest during and after his reign and placed all the pins he collected from other courts he visited representing the ISCCA.
Jack Loenen’s vest, Emperor I of ISCCA.
Although Jack is now deceased, his partner Peter Kelsch made this important donation to the Calgary Gay History Project in 2015. I just met up with Peter again a few weeks ago, who had more archive donations and stories to tell (thank you, Peter)!
We at the Calgary Gay History Project wish you a happy new year, including some epiphanies, manifestations or both.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi announced Monday the creation of a new park in the Beltline: the Lois Szabo Commons. Lois is well known to many in the LGBTQ2 community as a tireless volunteer and one of the founders of Calgary’s early gay institution, Club Carousel, in 1970.
The park was one of six newly named parks in celebration of Calgary’s 125th anniversary. One Voice Chorus’ Jasmine Ing coordinated Lois’ nomination with support from Kevin Allen and the Calgary Gay History Project.
Lois in the Club Carousel space in 2019: Source: Global News
Lois watched the announcement on a livestream of the City Council meeting and was very moved. She said: “I’m really pleased—and not just for me—but for the recognition of the entire community. It’s great we can have a park to sit in and be recognized; it does my heart good. I’m sorry some of the other Club members are not around to share this, particularly Jack.* It’s a community park; it’s not just about me!”
In the nomination package, we wrote:
“For more than 50 years, Lois has been a leader and organizer of Calgary’s LGBTQ2 community. Lois is the last surviving founder of Club Carousel – Calgary’s first gay club, incorporated in March 1970 – despite Calgary Police opposition. She was one of five individuals who dared to sign the club’s incorporation papers when homophobia and discrimination were the norms in Calgary, and few would sign on the dotted line.
Lois at Club Carousel in 1972 with a little pomp!
She also rolled up her sleeves and became the Club’s most dedicated volunteer. Lois was instrumental in organizing expanded Club programming including, camping trips, motorcycle rides, holiday capers, and more. Furthermore, the Club saved people’s lives by creating the City’s first truly safe space. Lois leant a sympathetic ear to LGBTQ2 Calgarians in distress—likely averting many suicides—pushing back against the tide of our community’s despair. The Club became the locus of early gay rights activism in Calgary. Moreover, it seeded sister clubs in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg, creating a regional human rights network.
Since 1970, Lois has maintained connections to and volunteered for dozens of LGBTQ2 organizations. Even in her 80s, she shows up to most community events today and is well known to many; she is proud to share our community’s history. Lois was given the 2015 Chinook Fund Hero Award and was the 2017 Calgary Pride Parade Grand Marshall—recognition well deserved.”
The Lois Szabo Commons is under construction and will be completed later this summer at the corner of 9 St and 16 Ave SW in the Beltline.
The Lois Szabo Commons under construction
Congratulations Lois!
*Jack Loenen was another Club Carousel founder and volunteer who is now deceased. In 1976, Jack also helped found Calgary’s oldest extant gay organization, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch.
Calgary Gay History 