When Raymond McCabe and his husband, Alex, launched their handmade arts business in 2024, the goal was simple: make a living creating art while giving back to the queer community that helped shape them.
Two years later, the Halifax couple behind Bobbin’s End is preparing for another busy Pride season, with booths at the Halifax Pride Parade Market this weekend and St. Margaret’s Bay Pride later this month. For McCabe, the markets are about far more than selling handmade bags, keychains and wearable art.
“They’re opportunities to meet like-minded folks,” McCabe says. “Growing up rural, I know what it’s like to feel like you’re one of the only queer kids around. Having those spaces where people know they’re not alone is incredibly important.”
For McCabe, bringing queer businesses into smaller communities is deeply personal.
Raised in rural Nova Scotia, he remembers feeling isolated as one of the few openly queer students at school. Youth programming through the Youth Project helped him connect with other LGBTQ+ young people, an experience he hopes to recreate for others through his business.
“I think it’s really important for these smaller towns,” he says. “There are people there who may feel like they don’t fit into the box. Having opportunities to meet like-minded people lets them know they’re not by themselves.”
Across Canada, more 2SLGBTQ+ entrepreneurs are turning to business ownership as a way to build careers, create inclusive workplaces and serve communities that have historically been overlooked. Yet researchers say many still face discrimination, funding barriers and the pressure to hide their identities.
A report by Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute estimates that roughly one in 40 Canadian businesses is owned or operated by a 2SLGBTQ+ entrepreneur. Together, those businesses generate more than $22 billion in annual economic activity and employ more than 435,000 people.
The report also found that 57 per cent of 2SLGBTQ+-owned businesses are sole proprietorships or one-person operations, underscoring how much of the sector is built by independent entrepreneurs.
Despite those contributions, barriers remain.
The study found that 37 per cent of 2SLGBTQ+ entrepreneurs choose not to publicly disclose their identities because they fear discrimination when seeking funding or business services. Nearly three in 10 reported experiencing discrimination because of their identity, while government survey data shows 39 per cent of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians have experienced harassment linked to homophobia, transphobia or biphobia.
Those challenges begin even before entrepreneurship. Research cited in the report found that seven per cent of employers and 11 per cent of co-workers have discriminated against 2SLGBTQ+ colleagues, while younger queer workers face greater obstacles entering high-paying industries and are more likely to experience unemployment and workplace sexual harassment.
McCabe says his experience in Halifax has largely been the opposite.
“The community is amazing,” he says. “It’s a very tight-knit and supportive community. Honestly, I haven’t run into a lot of issues because we’re a queer business. A lot of it has been positive.”
That support has helped Bobbin’s End establish itself quickly.
The couple’s business specializes in handmade textile goods, including bags, keychains and other fibre art creations, with many products celebrating queer identity. Every item is made by hand, making labour one of the company’s largest costs.
“I believe very strongly in paying artists for their work and paying people for their time,” McCabe says. “I like to charge fair prices that reflect not only the quality of the items but also the amount of time and labour that went into them.”
Pride season and the Christmas holidays have become the company’s busiest periods, with McCabe estimating some Pride markets can generate about $2,000 in sales.
For the couple, however, success is measured by more than revenue.
McCabe, who graduated from NSCAD University, says he entered business because he wanted to build a career making meaningful art rather than pursuing work he felt disconnected from.
“It doesn’t feel like work,” he says. “I really enjoy making things, working with my hands and getting to meet people.”
Markets have also become places to strengthen community ties.
Bobbin’s End has participated in Halifax Pride events, the Different Folks Rainbow Vision Market and markets hosted at Alexander Keith’s Brewery. This year, the business will return to the Halifax Pride Parade Market before travelling to St. Margaret’s Bay Pride, extending its reach beyond the city.
While Halifax has earned a reputation as one of Atlantic Canada’s most welcoming cities for LGBTQ+ residents, McCabe believes representation should not end at city limits.
“Here in Halifax we have a really awesome queer community, which we’re beyond lucky to have,” he says. “It’s fun to go out, engage with people and see what brings them joy.”
Bobbin’s End will be among dozens of vendors at the Halifax Pride Parade Market following the Halifax Pride Parade on Saturday, July 18, at the Garrison Grounds. The business will also appear at St. Margaret’s Bay Pride on July 25 at the Hubbards Barn. Halifax Pride runs from July 16 to July 26
