By Stephanie Harrington
Ottawa’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community has secured $10,000 from the City of Ottawa to look at establishing a community centre that could be located in Centretown.
The study, starting in June, will assess what needs to be done to open a GLBT centre by 2004 and help develop a strategy to pursue it. The community will look to successful GLBT centers in the U.S. and also Toronto’s 519 community centre as models for Ottawa’s. In April, the GLBT community will determine who will be hired to conduct the study.
“We’re beginning to mold our vague ideas into something more specific so we can create something vibrant and sustainable in our community,” said Stephanie Power, a community centre task force member, at the group’s last meeting in March.
The task force initially asked the city for more than $25,000 for a feasibility study. Instead, it will apply for another city grant for a business plan following the study’s completion. The group plans to lobby the city for some of the community centre’s funding, perhaps in time for the city’s budget next June.
“We have to be able to make the pitch and be in their face and say yes we have needs and they’re not being fulfilled,” says Yvon Vaillant, a task force member and representative for Ottawa’s equity and diversity committee.
Mary Gracie, an Ottawa city planner who attended the meeting, said that the planned GLBT centre reflects the city’s 20/20 Smart Growth plan’s commitment for “creating a community for all.”
Mayor Bob Chiarelli, Somerset Ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold and Kanata Coun. Alex Munter are just three of the politicians who support the idea.
“Positioning our community centre effort in the larger context is a benefit. It shows us where we fit in the cycle of developing a new city,” says Bruce Bursey, a task force member.
The Community Foundation of Ottawa, a charitable organization that supports community activities, is also willing to work with the group to create a start-up fund and maybe an on-going fund for the centre, says Gary Sealy, also a task force member.
There are more than 70 volunteer GLBT groups in Ottawa, representing 70,000 people. The community is clustering in Centretown, particularly on Bank Street. Here GLBT organizations such as Pink Triangle Services, Capital Xtra! newspaper and stores such as One in Ten and After Stonewall Books are located within several blocks. July’s GLBT pride parade will also move its central celebration from city hall to Bank Street this year.
Power says it is likely the community centre could be located in Centretown, although no decisions have been made.
The idea for a community centre evolved out the GLBT Wellness Project, in which 826 respondents commented on their health, safety, well being and needs. The survey revealed 55 per cent of the respondents wanted a community centre, especially youth under 25 and those who prefer services in French.
The survey also found GLBT youth and transgendered people are at a significantly higher risk of feeling depressed, suicidal or in poor health, compared to other respondents.
A community centre would help meet the needs of all GLBT people, establish a central meeting place, as well as provide a physical symbol of the community’s presence, says the task force.
The community centre could house a library, medical services, GLBT community groups, recreational activities and a coffee house.
The community has had a GLBT centre before, run by the Association of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Ottawa. It closed down in 1995 because it was $16,000 in debt, and didn’t have the support of the entire community.
But this centre promises to be more inclusive and larger than the last, Kerry Beckett, the former centre’s president, said in September.
The centre has the support of a broad range of people within the community. Meetings about the community centre have attracted support from youth, seniors, transgendered, lesbian groups and other organizations servicing the community, something Bursey hopes will continue.
“It won’t be long before we really need people from the community to help us.”