Calgary Outlink is a community-based, not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing support, education, outreach, and referrals for the 2SLGBTQIA+ and allied communities in Calgary, Alberta.

Empowerment is at the core of our work and we strive to provide opportunities for leadership, education and personal growth to our service users, volunteers and community members at large.

Mission

Calgary Outlink is a connection point for gender and sexually diverse people to community and support.

Vision

Calgary Outlink envisions a world where gender and sexually diverse communities foster connection and care to embrace their authenticity in community and self.

Meet our board

Outlink’s Board of Directors is made up of dedicated community members who bring diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and skills to guide our vision and mission. They volunteer their time to ensure that Outlink stays accountable, sustainable, and deeply connected to the needs of Calgary’s 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

  • Heather Hansler bio photo

    Heather Hansler

    (she/her)

    Secretary

  • Brent Ward bio photo

    Brent Ward

    (he/him)

    Treasurer

  • Jasmine Garland

    (she/her)

    Director

  • Sarah Vardy

    (she/her)

    Director

  • Maureen Tang

    (she/her)

    Director

Meet our staff

Our staff team is the heart of Outlink’s day-to-day work. With passion and care, they facilitate programs, provide support, and build connections that make our spaces welcoming and inclusive. Each staff member brings unique strengths, helping us create meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve.

  • Emma Ladouceur bio photo

    Emma Ladouceur

    (she/her)

    Director of Operations & Development

  • Zak Dattadeen bio photo

    Zak Dattadeen

    (he/him)

    Manager of Volunteers & Programming

  • Mackenzie Thaxter

    (she/they)

    Community Engagement & Program Coordinator

  • Ashay Vaidya

    (he/him)

    Development Specialist

Our Bylaws and Policies

Transparency & Accountability

At Outlink, our bylaws and policies reflect our commitment to safety, respect, and inclusion. They guide how we operate, ensuring transparency, accountability, and care in everything we do. These policies are living documents, shaped by our values and our communities, to help us create spaces where everyone feels supported and respected.

1. Bylaws

2. Policy for Policy Development, Evaluation, & Implementation

3. Policy on Conflict of Interest

4. Policy on Safer Spaces Ground Rules

5. Policy on Respect & Dignity of Worth for All

6. Policy on Respectful Workplace

7. Policy on Public Issues & Statements

8. Policy on Social Media

9. Policy on Board of Directors & Orientation

10. Policy on Gifts & Honorariums

11. Policy on Police Information Check & Vulnerable Sector Check Usage

12. Policy on Privacy

13. Policy on Confidentiality

14. Policy on Membership

15. Policy on Complaints & Grievances

16. Policy on Equity

Our Funders

Outlink’s work would not be possible without the generous support of our amazing funders, community partners, and private donors. We value collaboration and work alongside our many community partners to provide 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Calgary with a wide range of supports and services. We are honoured by all of the support we receive and are grateful for the opportunity to explore new opportunities together.

Calgary Chinook Fund logo
The Calgary Foundation Logo
Government of Canada Logo
Canadian Women's Foundation Logo
HREM Fund logo
AGLC logo
Govt of Alberta logo
Enchante Logo
Teagan and Sarah Foundation Logo
Alberta Blue Cross Logo
  • stonewall recovery logo

    Organization Spotlight

    STEVEN ARCHAMBAULT (he/him/his) - Co-founder of Stonewall Recovery

    Published On: September 21, 2023
    steven archambault bio photo

    Steven Archambault, Stonewall Recovery, Co-Founder of the organization, pronouns are he/him/his and I have been with Stonewall since 2022.

    Stonewall Recovery is founded with the value that we support everyone, regardless of the person’s identity or orientation – especially to populations that are most at risk of drug use.

    Being kind and compassionate are the values that align with me the most and I believe that this organization was designed with those in mind. We also can recognize that the way support is now for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, must be better and offer more support systems to those at risk.

    I would say highlights are certainly weekly because it entails working with people who are. Excited for us to start offering our services, I receive text messages and phone calls asking us “When will you be open?”

    That, to me, is notable because it’s sad to hear that they are looking for some resource to be available. However, the positive highlight of being a part of Stonewall is planning and executing the Gala [Stonewall Recovery Centre Bricks and Mortar Gala]. As I stood on the stage, looking at the wonderful people, I can see that this is why I do what I do. It’s completely worthwhile, and the work is meaningful. I would say that the possibilities of astronomical moments are endless.

    Just a few weeks ago, I was actually working with a 2-Spirit knowledge keeper. The discussion we had was around family, and how family is chosen rather than [by] blood, but we were discussing what it looks like. During the ceremony, there was a moment where a bind happened with the intestine of a buffalo on the wrists. Which goes to show how powerful an experience can be, and the choosing of our family. It was also a symbol of this bond with the new family, and I could literally feel the energy.

    I would definitely say that my favorite thing to do is scuba diving – just being under the water and feeling how peaceful it is. Being able to be fifty feet below the water allows me to settle. It’s hard to put into words, but I feel like I can be at peace with my own thoughts. After twenty years of scuba diving, it just continues to get better and stay peaceful. A spot that I am most fond of is the Sea of Cortez.

    [We are] an organization that is dedicated to supporting the queer community, and being founded with that in mind means we can offer programming that is inclusive and excluding religion and gender, while also allowing people to choose if they want to share their sexuality if that is a part of the process within their intersectionality of recovery. We also strive to not have any assumption [of], “You have an addiction because you are queer,” or that “you have to struggle because of identity.”

    The examples of the queer community is wonderful and just being around those who have lived experience can also be a truly wonderful thing. September Pride, and during the month of June, I can say for certain that we will be there volunteering to take part in the programming.

    I would like to highlight that there needs to be solid frame work from Calgary Pride on what work they do, due to lack of connection. I can see a large population of our community has little to no connection because of the paid membership and the amount of membership that are engaged. There is a missing component with Calgary Pride to the queer community.

    The main and current services we will offer are focused on recovery and will be online. [We] launched in British Columbia [and] Ontario. This is nationwide and will continue to be national.

    The key messaging is that this is available to anyone. The day program will be ready in about 3-6 months, the bed treatment is in the works and hoping to be launched soon. It all comes down to securing funding in order to make all of this possible. The government didn’t consider any type of funding for the 2-Spirit community. Prior to the provincial election, I am not certain that the government thought to consider this after the election was over. We need to step up for our own 2SLGBTQ+ community, and it’s another reason why I am a member of Calgary Pride – to be a part of the changes that they need to make.

    It’s absolutely critical and imperative that we bring BIPOC into the conversation and we have a platform to use for agency. Our community will continue to struggle unless, as a country, we accept everyone to be a part of the space.

    I know there are a few steps that need to be taken. Our allies need to be included, because people will still ask “why do we need spaces or anything of our own?”

    The answer is that we are continuing to fight to have spaces that we need to be us. We need more support systems in place, not less. The statistics are horrible. For example, when a teenager comes out as queer, and they live in a nicer home with a stable family, the percentage of them being abused is 39%. Becoming a target from your own family, when they weren’t before, can lead to trauma and addiction.

    3.6% of the Canadian population experience this. 30% of the population make up the [unhoused population], and 70% of the [unhoused] population are Indigenous. Those who still ask the question, “Why do we celebrate Pride?”or, “Why is there a Pride month?” are not allies, and hear these questions often on social media.

    Stonewall [Recovery] is very much needed. We heard the call, and answered it. Drugs affect us, and about two thousand people have died from it – this doesn’t even include the heartbreak or mental health challenges that are caused by addictions. We need to come together to support all spaces, because our community matters.

    Stonewall Recovery is Canada’s very first 2SLGBTQ+ addiction treatment facility, currently offering online recovery programs.