Capital Current introduces people who have had an impact on the city.
Who is he?
Eric Vance wears many different hats — or wigs, rather — and one of them belongs to Sunshine Glitterchild, his drag queen persona.
What’s his background?
Vance told the Kitchissippi Times he first became interested in drag around 2015 or 2016, after seeing a performance on television.
In a documentary about Vance called “Life’s A Drag Without Sunshine,” he said he’d bought a pair of Jeffrey Campbell platform heels in preparation for his drag debut, but his father threw out the heels.
“I kind of got away from wanting to pursue drag just ’cause I was wanting to protect this masculine-presenting view of myself,” Vance said.
Vance returned to drag in 2020, when the “feeling of the world ending” inspired him to try again, he told the Kitchissippi Times.
“Now I’m a drag queen, living my truth and I get to revisit that little boy who was too afraid of what people thought about him to be dancing,” he said in the documentary. “My drag persona is a reminder to always circle back to becoming that loving person full of light.”
In the years since, Vance has been doing drag full-time and has gained more than 20,000 followers on Instagram.
What is he known for in Ottawa?
Vance is primarily known for his drag performances as Sunshine Glitterchild across Ottawa, which often feature high-energy, high-glam looks and, of course, glitter.
“There’s no one that does drag like Sunshine in the city,” said Rachel Clothier, Vance’s drag assistant.
Vance co-founded GlitterShaker Events in January 2023 with Saltina Shaker, another drag queen in the Ottawa area. GlitterShaker Events organizes and hosts drag events in Ottawa and beyond.
Through GlitterShaker Events and his own prominence as a drag queen, Vance has become a “constant presence” in Ottawa’s nightlife, said Rick Laplante, an at-large member on Ottawa’s Nightlife Council and founder of White Rabbit Events.
In November 2024, Vance was appointed to the Nightlife Council as an at-large member, alongside Laplante and 10 others.
The council advises the Nightlife Commissioner on the “commercial and cultural vibrancy” of Ottawa’s nightlife and on the development of new policies and safety programs.
What do people say about him?
Caleb Raymond, a former bartender at the Lookout, a 2SLGBTQIA+ bar where Vance often performs, said he’s a “kind and dedicated performer. Sunshine is the ultimate ‘work hard, play harder’ queen!”
Michaela Domenico, another at-large member of the Nightlife Council and founder of Safe Raving, called Vance a “ray of sunshine.”
“Eric actively advocates for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, being able to share common needs and issues that our community faces in regards to nightlife safety in Ottawa,” she said.
Laplante said Vance has a “consistent and strong” voice on council.
“Every meeting, he ensures that some of the views from his community are represented and shared with the council,” he said. “(He expresses) the concerns and some of the experiences that the queer community lives every single weekend in trying to gather and engage with their community and connect with each other.”
What’s something people may not know about him?
Vance adopted a husky-lab mix named Baby in 2019. When he’s not in drag, Vance said in an Instagram post that he enjoys being outdoors and “rolling around in dirt” with his dog.
