New year, new look, same goals.
Annapolis Royal Pride has a new team this year, and we’ve got a new look to launch the 2025 season!
This year’s theme is “Shine Your Light”, marking the debut of our new logo and brand, focused around the iconic image of the lighthouse, which stands proudly in the centre of Annapolis Royal and overlooks the beautiful Annapolis Basin. The lighthouse serves as a metaphor for how we shine the light of love and acceptance into the darkness of fear and misunderstanding, creating a safe space for all to thrive!
We are excited to offer a 2025 Pride Festival focused on love, equality, respect and inclusion, and to offer events throughout the year to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and our allies. We know that a safe and healthy society is better for everyone, and we are happy to partner with governments at every level, local businesses and organizations and individuals throughout our community to make Annapolis County the best place it can be. Join us!
Meet our board!
Cameron Stiff, President
Cameron (he/him) cares about creating safe and healthy communities, a theme that has run through his diverse career history working on environmental issues, community development and in the arts. As a realtor, he knows how important for a place to truly feel like home! He’s thrilled to be part of AR Pride, bringing years of business and non-profit management to the team. In his spare time Cameron loves to hike and camp, play ice hockey in the winter and garden in the summer, and enjoy theatre and film all year round.
June Brown, Director
As Principal of Annapolis West Education Centre, June (she/her) believes that education is the foundation for acceptance, understanding, and change. Being part of Pride is important to her because it represents visibility, community, and the ongoing fight for equity and inclusion. Every day, she strives to create a school culture where all students feel safe, seen, and valued for who they are. She lives with her wife and their two dogs at Trout Lake, where they find peace and joy in nature. Her personal and professional life are grounded in a deep commitment to love, authenticity, and the belief that education can create a more inclusive and accepting world.
Meagan Cairns, Vice President
Meagan (she/her) is a Child and Youth Care Practitioner with the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education. With a passion for equity, connection, and community, she supports high school students through life’s challenges—and spend her weekends in the woods timing off-road races (yes, really :). She’s proud to be part of Annapolis Royal Pride because everyone deserves to feel seen, safe, and celebrated—especially in rural Nova Scotia.
Brent Goertzen, Director
Brent (he/him) grew up and came out in a very religious family in a small town in northern BC called Smithers, a Smithereen if you will! He feels very lucky to have kind and loving parents who have come a long way to support a lifestyle that they still struggle to understand. Brent has been attending Pride events for years, in larger cities like Vancouver BC to dynamic small communities like Salt Spring Island, and now he’s excited to help bring that same energy and celebration to our small town. He and his partner have made Annapolis Royal their home—they love the people, the pace, and the sense of community here. As a realtor and with plenty of experience in hospitality, Brent loves creating inclusive, joyful spaces where everyone feels like they belong.
Darryl Regier, Treasurer
Darryl (he/him) recently moved from Ontario to Clementsvale, happily starting a new chapter in Annapolis County after a long career in banking. He enjoys outdoor activities including gardening, landscaping and hiking, and is an artisanal potter. Having grown up in rural South Western Ontario, Darryl knows how isolating it can be for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in rural environments, so he is happy to help create community in his new home and bring his skills and experience to the board as our treasurer.
AC Silver, Secretary
AC was homeschooled in Antigonish County by very religious parents who were determined to keep them away from “worldly” people, including all members of the LQBTQ+ community. Almost 20 years after the failure of that grand plan (and the start of their joyful journey to openly embracing who they are), AC can usually be found nose-deep in a medical chart at their day job as a family doctor, or somewhere around King’s theatre, either on the stage or in the audience. AC is proud to be a part of Annapolis Royal Pride because no one should have to move a world away and disappear into the crowds of a big city to be able to be themselves without shame or fear.