Parker’s Corner honours mother and son’s legacy of acceptance and authenticity in Saint John

It was an emotional day at the dedication of ‘Parker’s Corner’ in Saint John – honouring late LGBTQ+ advocate Parker Grant Cogswell.

Parker Cogswell spent his life bringing people together, right until the end.

When the well-known Saint Johner and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate was diagnosed with cancer, he found solace by sitting outside his home on the corner of Carmarthen and Mecklenburg Streets in uptown Saint John.

“We started sitting here when Parker was deeply into the chemotherapy,” said André Gallant, Parker’s husband. “When we were at our lowest, I remember Parker had stopped talking. And if you knew Parker, you never thought he’d stop talking. But he wasn’t talking anymore.”

“But in the evening at six o’clock, if it was sunny, he’d say ‘are we going on the corner tonight?’ And we would come to the corner, and slowly neighbours and friends would join us. That’s what we had to look forward to until his time was done with us.”

Cogswell died in 2020, with a legacy already cemented around community-building and authenticity.

The corner became a shrine for Cogswell following his death and soon became the uptown’s most colourfully decorated street corner.

Now, Parker’s Corner is an official city landmark.

“He would be so proud of this,” said André, at its official dedication on Saturday, joking that Parker would’ve likely chosen a bigger street sign.

Parker came out in the early 1980s, when visibility in Saint John’s gay community was low and homophobia was widespread.

“Values and traits passed down from his mother are what gave him the strength to come out,” said Arlo Cogswell, Parker’s nephew. “Parker and Judith were very much the same person.”

The dedication was just as much about Judith Meinert-Thomas, a local legend herself. Judith co-founded the Saint John chapter of PFLAG, and helped to organize the city’s first Pride parade in 2003.

“To me, Judith is always the parade marshal no matter what year it is,” said Alex Saunders, president of Saint John Pride.

Judith died in 2022, and is remembered by her husband as a champion for diversity, inclusion and equality.

“Together, Parker and Judith helped to shape a Saint John that embraces all people,” said Ralph Thomas, Judith’s husband.

Saint John city hall announced the official designation of Parker’s Corner in March 2024, scheduling the official dedication for this year’s Pride Week in Saint John.

“This is much more than just a sign on a street,” said Kelly Bayne, the city’s arts and culture coordinator. “It is a way to preserve our local memory of this outstanding family’s legacy.”

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.