Last Saturday, Armour held an event at the Chevaliers de Colomb Hall in Fort-Coulonge to help raise funds for his hometown’s hockey arena. The event featured charismatic performances and salacious comedy from Ottawa-based queens, Savannah Couture, Saltina Shaker, Aimee Yoncé Shanelle, Icesis Couture and Sunshine Glitterchild. Armour also . . .

performed at the event, debuting as Maddie Longlegs.

“Hosting a drag show has been one of my dreams since I’ve been 19, I’ve been daydreaming about doing this in Fort-Coulonge and been told that it would never work,” said Armour.

His dream came true last November when he hosted the Pontiac’s first drag show at the Fort-Coulonge’s Café Downtown to an “overwhelming” amount of praise from family, friends and members of the Pontiac’s LGBTQ+ community.

In response to the heartfelt support, Armour created Downtown Drag Events to continue promoting his passion throughout the Pontiac. “This show isn’t just for gays, it isn’t just for women, it’s for everyone,” said Armour.

With Saturday’s event reaching a few hundred audience members, the hall became a de facto nightclub. “I love the energy from this town,” said Shanelle. “It’s just amazing.”

Somewhat removed from the expectations of television drag, the live, raw power of each queen made for a blistering, almost spiritual experience. For queens and audience members alike, the blood, sweat and tears were real.

Beyond the makeup and the elaborate costumes, is a community of people creating their own sense of belonging. “When I was there, the people of this town showed us a lot of love, and a lot of acceptance and a lot of appreciation for the art that we do, and that really warms my heart,” said Glitterchild.

“Ever since I was a kid, I always was interested in dance, and clothing, and barbies and things like that, but my father pushed me away from that for a long time, but that only goes so far and eventually at some point in your life, you are who you are and you can’t hide who you are anymore.”

Armour wants to use drag as a means of generating acceptance and compassion for the Pontiac’s LGBTQ+ community. “I mean, you wake up in the morning and you decide who you want to be,” said Armour. “We’re all drag.”

Downtown Drag’s next event will be held on May 7 at Fort-Coulonge’s Café Downtown, featuring Kiki Coe from the Canadian reality series ‘Call Me Mother’.

In 2021, Icesis Couture won during the second season of Canada’s Drag Race.

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