Little Sister’s, the long-time retail store serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on Davie Street in Vancouver, has been featured in a new stamp unveiled by Canada Post yesterday evening. The stamp is part of Canada Post’s Places of Pride series and recognizes the important role that Little Sister’s played in fighting to protect 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada.
“For the past four decades, Little Sister’s has been a place where the queer community can embrace their identity, find community and celebrate the beauty of being queer,” says Parmjot Gill, the owner of Little Sister’s. “This stamp recognizes the incredible courage and commitment that the founders of Little Sister’s, Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth, had in pursuing a decade-long legal battle that resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting the charter rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Canada.”
The stamp honouring Little Sister’s was designed by Kelly Small with illustrations by Tim Singleton. It features the portraits Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth as well as long-time manager of Little Sister’s, Janine Fuller. All three were instrumental in pursuing a decade-long court case against Canada Customs after the queer-themed books that the store was importing were repeatedly seized at the border on the grounds that they were obscene. The stamp also features the cat, Little Sister, after which the store is named.
Canada Post’s Places of Pride stamp series honours spaces and events that have shaped 2SLGBTQIA+ history in Canada. In addition to Little Sister’s, this year’s series also featured Metamorphosis, a festival in Saskatoon considered to be the first celebration of queer culture in Western Canada; The 519, a pivotal community hub in Toronto and the first City of Toronto community centre run by and for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; and The Turret, an important gathering place for social, political and cultural life from 1976 to 1982 in Halifax.
This is the second and final set in the Places of Pride series. The first series was released in 2025 and featured Club Carousel, Hanlan’s Point Beach, Truxx and the 3rd North American Native Gay & Lesbian Gathering.
Little Sister’s was acquired by B.C.-born impact investor and queer business community leader Parmjot Gill in April 2026 following the passing of the previous owner, Don Wilson. Born and raised in Squamish, Gill also serves as the board chair for Queer Business BC, a non-profit organization that provides support to 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and professionals in the province.
Established in 1983, Little Sister’s was the only queer bookstore in Western Canada when it first opened and was one of the few places where queer folks could access literature about themselves and find community. During the AIDS crisis, the store became a cultural sanctuary where 2SLGBTQIA+ people could go, including those who had just received a positive diagnosis, to find resources and be supported during a time of significant marginalization. During the court battle with Canada Customs, the store was also the victim of three terrorist bombings.
Places of Pride stamp booklets can be purchased at Little Sister’s and from Canada Post locations across the country.
About Little Sister’s
Little Sister’s is a book, clothing and intimate wellness store serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Located in Vancouver, B.C., the store was founded by Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth in 1983 – making it one of the oldest continuously operated queer bookstores in North America. Through the AIDS crisis, government censorship and three terrorist bombings, Little Sister’s has stood as a defender of 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and a pillar of the queer community.
