By Abigail Martinez
Funding and governance – these are the two main issues facing the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centre Task Force in their efforts to establish a gathering place for Ottawa’s gay population.
The task group held a community consultation at City Hall on Sept. 15, inviting the public to comment on the plans it has made regarding these issues since it was formed last July.
“We want to make sure we’re on track with what the community wants,” says task group leader Bruce Bursey.
The group was formed shortly after a survey sponsored by Pink Triangle Services, a local social service catering to gays, indicated a lack of places for Ottawa’s gay population to gather and seek mutual support.
The plans the task group presented at the consultation proposed 14,000 square feet of space for a community centre located somewhere on Bank Street between Gladstone Avenue and Nepean Street.
This space is to be used for activity facilities, resource centres and various community organizations.
The task group’s estimates place the cost of the project at $230,000 annually for the next three years. Where this money will come from has not been confirmed.
“It will have to come from a cross section of the private sector, volunteers, and charitable organizations,” says task group member Gary Sealey.
The community centre will also require the support of a host organization and a strong network of volunteers.
So far the task group has approached 54 organizations in the city about becoming involved in the community centre.
Sealey says most have responded with enthusiasm, with many being interested in becoming tenants in the proposed building.
Bursey says the group is hoping one of these organizations will eventually take over the governance of the centre.
“We’re suggesting that an existing gay organization take the lead,” he says.
The task group has also been working closely with the city’s health, recreation and social services committee.
Coun. Alex Munter, chair of the committee, says he supports the idea of providing the city’s gay and lesbian community with a safe and constructive place to gather.
“I hope the city will be a partner with the GLBT community in making sure all citizens are served,” he says.
Regis Girard, a participant in the community consultation, says he was generally impressed with what the task group presented to the public.
“I was happily surprised,” he says. “It was a lot more than I expected.”
Bursey says the task group’s next step will be to focus on recruiting a host organization and winning the city’s support. He says they are planning to compile the feedback they receive from the public at this consultation and hope to arrange a meeting with Mayor Bob Chiarelli next month.