Flashback was a

gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...

and

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada from 1974 to 1991. It operated as a private members club first known as the Jasper Avenue Social Club Society, then as the 105 Street Bridge Club Society.

History

Opened as a

private club A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities. There are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious ...

, the Jasper Avenue Social Cub Society operated a gay bar named Flashback on November 15, 1974 in a basement location at 11639

Jasper Avenue Jasper Avenue is an arterial road in central Edmonton, Alberta, and is the city's main street. Jasper Avenue has no official street number but is aligned with 101 Avenue with the majority of its length. Jasper Avenue is a major public transi ...

in Edmonton. As it gained popularity it moved to a larger location in what was then known as the Millar Building at 10330 - 104 Street in the Warehouse District of

Downtown Edmonton Downtown Edmonton is the central business district of Edmonton, Alberta. Located at the geographical centre of the city, the downtown area is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue and Rossdale ...

where it opened its doors on November 4, 1977. The Millar Building is now known as the Excelsior Lofts, Edmonton's first loft style housing residence. When the building owners decided not to renew their lease, Flashback moved to another warehouse building directly across the back alley and restructured as the 105 Street Bridge Club Society but still operated as Flashback. The club was originally created for

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

people and their friends by several members of Club 70, Edmonton's original private gay club. The restrictive membership policies of Club 70, which allowed entry only to gay or lesbian individuals, punished members with a suspension for 30 days if they were accompanied by

cisgender The word ''cisgender'' (often shortened to ''cis''; sometimes ''cissexual'') describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not ''transgender''. The prefix '' cis-'' is Latin and ...

heterosexuals.

Legacy

The impact the bar had on the Edmonton Queer scene is now the subject of a new Telus Originals documentary film, ''Flashback'', released in early 2024. Additionally, the bar's original neon sign was restored and added to the Edmonton Neon Sign Museum collection on June 17, 2023.

References

LGBTQ drinking establishments in Canada Gay culture in Canada LGBTQ nightclubs in Canada {{LGBTQ-stub LGBTQ in Alberta