Let's Talk About Sex(uality), Baby!
A panel conversation for the curious, the cautious, the kinky, and the questioning.
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Monday, October 6th, 2025
Time: Arrive at 6:30 PM. Panel discussion will run from 7 PM - 9 PM.
Location: CanMore Together (Thrive Room) - Entrance via the back alley on 9th street.
Funded by: Rotary Club of Canmore - Community Grants
Organized by: Bow Valley Pride Network (Canmore Pride Society, Banff Pride Society)
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Description:
This panel is a trauma-informed, consent-based, and body-affirming conversation that centers queer and trans experiences of sex, pleasure, healing, and self-connection. Whether you’re discovering your sexuality, exploring kink, healing from trauma, or navigating asexuality.. all are welcome here.
The panel members include:
Stephen Wright (he/she/they) - Panelist
Stephen Wright is a Two-Spirit advocate, educator, and community leader based in Calgary on Treaty 7 territory. He has served on the board of ASPECC (Advocating for Sex Positive Education and Consent Culture) as Chair of the Indigenous Relations and Queer c committeea and worked with the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society as a Community Liaison where he advanced conversations on consent, gender, and 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Stephen is the Chief Operating Officer of Sacred Circles Village, a nonprofit supporting Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA+ people through culturally grounded mental health, advocacy, and community programs. Across all roles, Stephen brings lived experience, recovery knowledge, and a commitment to creating spaces where sexuality, culture, and identity can be discussed with openness, respect, and care.
Julie Fesseler (she/they) - Panelist
Julie is a 34-year-old Museum Educator, hiker, and board game enthusiast who has been living in the Bow Valley for about six months. A self-described introvert, they bring a thoughtful and curious lens to the world around them.
Julie discovered they were demi-sexual and aromantic by chance in their late 20s—a moment that helped them realize there was nothing wrong with how they experienced attraction or connection. As they put it, they’d simply rather eat cake than have sex!
Identifying as aroace has become a meaningful part of Julie’s identity. It shapes how they understand the world, how they define love, and how they experience intimacy. It also influences the expectations they carry into friendships and partnerships—something they continue to explore in a world that so often centers sex and romance.
More recently, Julie has also come to identify as genderflux, adding another layer to their evolving sense of self.
Aya Yafaoui (she/her) - Panelist
Aya lives in Canmore with her partner and two cats, Milo and Lulu. She loves animals, especially horses, and volunteers with the Bow Valley Equine Adaptive to provide equine therapy to people with disabilities. As a queer Palestinian and Lebanese woman, Aya is passionate about 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous rights across the world and in the Bow Valley. Her heritage also inspires her poetry which has earned her the title of Canmore’s first Slam Poetry Champion.
Aya also has a Masters in Political Science from the University of Waterloo. Her thesis studies Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) as an application for deliberative democracy to better include marginalised groups in local decision making. She is an avid D&D DM (let her know if you want to start a campaign!) and enjoys collaborative storytelling in all forms. You can catch Aya swimming, learning to play the ukulele and baking sweet treats to share with friends around town.
Holeigh Urquhart (she/they) - Panelist
Holeigh has undergone quite the transformation over the past decade—moving from a “cis-het-mono, getting married and having babies” life to embracing their identity as a queer, CNM/polyamorous, kinky, relational anarchist. As they like to say, a few things definitely shifted in their thirties!
Passionate about dismantling stigma and shame around sex, Holeigh brings this commitment into every aspect of their life—from how they show up in the world, to challenging harmful beliefs and judgments, to building a queer-centered therapy practice. Their work focuses on supporting queer, kinky, and non-monogamous individuals through an intersectional lens that affirms all bodies, identities, and lived experiences.
Holeigh is honoured to be part of this Canmore Pride event and looks forward to sharing space and conversation with the panel and attendees alike.
Avery Levesque (he/him/his) - Facilitator
Avery Levesque is an experienced and equity-driven community leader with over 20 years in public service, grassroots engagement, and trauma-informed programming. They bring both professional expertise and a strong commitment to creating safe, connected, and thriving communities.
Grounded in lived experience as a trans human and guided by a systems-thinking lens, Avery brings both compassion and clarity to creating spaces where people feel safe, included, and empowered. With a balance of personal insight and professional know-how, they are committed to fostering connection, equity, and meaningful dialogue that honors the whole person.
With a passion for equity and community care,Avery is honoured to facilitate Let’s Talk About Sex(uality), Baby! and help hold space for authentic, meaningful conversation.
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What to bring: water bottle and snacks if you wish.
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Accessibility:
This venue has a door that can fit a wheelchair at the entrance located in the alleyway of 9th street. However, there may be a tight hallway to access the washroom.
The venue features small breakout rooms that attendees can access if they need a quiet space.
The entrance and washroom do not have an accessible door button.
Washroom is gender-neutral (private stall). There is a tight hallway to access the washroom (approx 36 inches wide).
The venue capacity is around 40-50 people.
This event is held indoors with ample lighting.
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Getting here:
Paid parking is available on the streets nearby. However, we encourage you to walk/bike/roll to the venue if it is accessible for you.
Note: the entrance is located in the alleyway on 9th street.
Here is a map of Canmore accessible parking spots: https://www.canmore.ca/your-community/community-supports-and-services/accessibility
Closest bus stop is: 9th st Canmore, behind Arts Place. It is 140 m from the venue space.
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Safe Ride Home:
Three Sister’s Taxi is donating free taxi rides within Canmore (including Three Sisters area) to help people get to and from Canmore Pride festival events safely. Please ask a volunteer at the festival for a voucher, which must be presented to the driver at the start of your ride. (Rides are subject to availability). Gratuity is not included - please tip your driver.
Roam Transit has donated one-way bus passes to help attendees get between Banff and Canmore. Please talk to a volunteer at the festival to get a free pass (can be used on the Canmore-Banff Regional Route 3).
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Registration: Please reserve your spot through our Showpass page as spots are limited. If space permits, we may have last-minute spots available at the door.
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Contact:
If you have any questions leading up to the event, please contact the Canmore Pride team directly via email at community@canmorepride.ca.
Please note, due to the volume of emails, we suggest that you get in touch with us a minimum of 48 hours prior to the event so we have time to respond to your inquiries.