Ottawa ProPride — prideatwork.ca

September 29, 2026 | 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET
Hosted by Accenture | 150 Elgin St, Ottawa ON, K2P 1L4
Join Pride at Work Canada for an evening of meaningful conversation, networking, and community building as we bring together professionals, community leaders, advocates, and allies committed to advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in Canadian workplaces.
As part of our 2026 ProPride Series: Building Queer Futures, this gathering invites participants to connect, exchange ideas, and explore how we can collectively create workplaces where Two-Spirit, queer, and trans people not only belong but have the opportunity to lead, influence, and shape the future of work.
This Ottawa ProPride will feature a fireside conversation with Michelle Douglas, Executive Director of the LGBT Purge Fund, exploring leadership, advocacy, and the ongoing work of advancing equity and justice for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Canada. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in conversation, ask questions, and connect with peers from across sectors.
Whether you work in human resources, equity and inclusion, leadership, government, or community organizations, or are simply passionate about creating more inclusive workplaces, this gathering offers an opportunity to learn, reflect, and build new relationships.
Agenda

4:00PM – 5:00PM Featured Conversation: Building Queer Futures: A Conversation with Michelle Douglas
5:30PM – 8:30PM Reception

Sponsors
ProPride 2026 Presenting Partner

Host Sponsor

Featured Conversation: Building Queer Futures –  A Conversation with Michelle Douglas
Join us for an engaging discussion with Michelle Douglas, Executive Director of the LGBT Purge Fund, as she reflects on leadership, advocacy, resilience, and the importance of building workplaces and communities where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can thrive. Through storytelling and dialogue, participants will explore the role each of us can play in advancing inclusion and creating lasting systemic change.
Featured Speaker
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Michelle Douglas
Executive Director, LGBT Purge Fund
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Michelle is a veteran, a survivor of Canada’s “LGBT Purge”, retired federal public servant and an activist in the movement to seek equality for the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Michelle served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1986 – 1989. Despite a distinguished service record, she was honorably discharged after being deemed “Not Advantageously Employable Due to Homosexuality”. Her landmark legal challenge in 1992 ended Canada’s formalized discriminatory policy against LGBT members of the military.
This experience launched a decades-long commitment to justice-seeking, volunteerism and activism for Michelle.
Michelle also had a 30-year career in public service. She retired from the Canadian Department of Justice in 2019 where she held the position of Director of International Relations.
Since 2019, Michelle continues to serve as the Executive Director of the LGBT Purge Fund.
In December 2023, Michelle was appointed by the Minister of National Defence as an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces with the Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture organization.
Michelle is a member of the board of directors of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation. Michelle was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the King Charles III Commemoration Medal in 2024. The McGill University Law School holds a lecture series in her name. Michelle is the 33rd Vimy Award Laureate (2025).
Michelle is a graduate of Carleton University and holds a Doctorate in Humane Letters (honoris causa) from Mount Saint Vincent University (2024). She resides in Burlington, Ontario.
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Emcee
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OK Naledi (they/she)
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OK Naledi is a high-energy, Afro-Fusion music group based on the unceded Algonquin Territory referred to as Ottawa in Canada.
Rooted in Motswana heritage, OK Naledi weaves raw emotion and vibrant sounds into stories of heartbreak, love, queerness, family and adulthood. Their songwriting is deeply personal, shaped by the experience of living in a Western context while carrying the roots and rhythms of southern Africa.
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Registration and Pricing
Register today on Eventbrite.
Panel and Reception

Member ticket price (Proud Partners and Community Partners): $100 + taxes**
Non-member ticket price: $150 + taxes**

Networking Reception

Member ticket price (Proud Partners and Community Partners): $20 + taxes**
Non-member ticket price: $40 + taxes**

** Your registration helps make events like this possible. It supports the creation of spaces for learning, networking, and meaningful conversations in communities across the country, while helping us ensure that seats are reserved for those who plan to attend. We remain committed to accessibility and do not want cost to be a barrier to participation. If the registration fee presents a financial challenge, please contact us to discuss available options.
Accessibility

Spoken Language: English

Pride at Work Canada is committed to creating accessible and inclusive events. If you require any accessibility accommodations to participate fully, please let us know when registering or contact us at events@prideatwork.ca.