Halifax Tides FC has launched its Pride 2026 merchandise collection, created in collaboration with Halifax-based creative agency Shortstop. The collection uses design to spotlight and reinterpret key moments, spaces and symbols from Halifax’s 2SLGBTQI+ history.

The 2026 Tides Pride Collection includes a Pride-themed T-shirt, socks, bandana, patch and tote bag. A portion of the proceeds will support Halifax Pride, with $2 from each T-shirt and tote purchase donated to the organization.

The collaboration with Shortstop was a natural fit for the Tides. Led by co-founder and creative director Sam Archibald, the agency brings a values-driven approach centred on inclusion, community leadership and a commitment to creating space for diverse voices. These priorities align with the Tides’ belief in the power of sport to bring people together and foster belonging, making the partnership as meaningful as the collection it produced.

“Our community built something real here, long before the world was ready to acknowledge it,” said Sam Archibald. “The Turret, Rumours, the Alternate Bookshop – these weren’t just places, they were some of the only spaces where people could feel like they belonged. We wanted to put that history somewhere it would actually be seen and worn. What I love about the Tides is that they get how sport and community aren’t separate things. This shirt is a nod to the people who came before – and a signal to the people who are here now.”

The T-shirt and tote bag feature the collection’s flagship design: a bold collage graphic incorporating Tides-adapted imagery, symbols and logos that honour the legacy of Halifax’s 2SLGBTQI+ organizations and institutions.

The design includes reinterpretations of:

• The Turret logo (originally designed by Rand Gaynor), an iconic Barrington Street building that served as a social, political and event cultural centre of Halifax’s gay and lesbian communities from 1977-1982.
• A Yellow Pages advertisement from The Alternate Bookshop, Halifax’s first queer bookstore, that operated as a safe space for community members to learn about their homosexuality from 1975-1996.
• The Red Herring Co-op Books logo, a progressive, gay Halifax bookstore that operated in multiple locations from 1977-1982.
• The Halifax Pride logos from 1997 and 2015.
• The original Rumours logo (originally designed by Arthur Carter), a gay bar that opened in The Turret in 1982, before relocating and operating until 1995.

“Queer culture built this city long before anyone was paying attention,” said Emily Vincent, marketing and communications director for Halifax Tides FC. “This collection is about honouring the people, places and stories that helped shape Halifax’s 2SLGBTQI+ community. Partnering with Shortstop allowed us to approach that history with care while reinforcing our belief that sport can be a space where everyone feels seen and welcome.”

As Atlantic Canada’s first professional women’s sports organization, Halifax Tides treats diversity and inclusivity as an organizational standard. This commitment extends beyond Pride Month and into every aspect of the club. The Tides actively work to provide pathways and platforms for queer players, staff, supporters and collaborators, recognizing that representation in professional sport carries weight far beyond the pitch.

The collection launches today, June 1, 2026, at shop.tidesfc.ca and will also be available at all Tides home matches through June and July.