Gay village signs at the corner of Bank and Gilmour streets.
As part of a long-running battle to have a gay village formally recognized in Ottawa, the Village Ottawa Committee installed a prototype street sign at the corner of Bank and Gilmour streets from Sept. 16 to 23.
The sign was located at the northwest corner of the intersection on the street pole above the street name signs. It faced towards Bank Street, and read “The Village” in purple letters on a white background. It also had a circle with rainbow stripes on it with the City of Ottawa “O” inside to represent the City’s involvement.
Glenn Crawford, chair of the village committee, says the purpose of the sign was to garner input from local businesses, residents, and the community about the designation of a gay village along Bank Street between James and Nepean streets.
“Everything that we as the village have done over the last two or three years . . . we’ve seen as a stepping stone,” says Crawford. “The purpose of (the sign) is to garner feedback and hopefully support.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes, who worked with the committee in designing and installing the sign, says she delivered flyers to every business in the area asking them to go look at the sign and provide their comments.
David Rimmer, owner of After Stonewall, a gay bookstore at Bank and Gilmour, says he is excited by the prototype. However, he said he found it a little difficult to notice because it is white and located so high off the ground.
“Perhaps a little more garishness, fabulousness, is required,” Rimmer says.
Sarah Cooper, administrative co-ordinator for Carleton University’s GLBTQ Centre, thinks that a gay village already exists in Ottawa but it is just not formally recognized.
Allowing people to say no, she says, makes it more likely that the GLBTQ community will have to then fight for the designation of a gay village.
In addition to the flyers, there were also ballot boxes located at the Bridgehead coffee shop at Bank and Gilmour and the Second Cup at Bank and Somerset.
There is also an online survey for people to give feedback on the committee’s website, VillageOttawa.com.
In 2008, the Bank Street BIA put the onus on the Village to gather the community support they needed to brand the area a “gay village,” saying that no action on the BIA’s part was required.
Gerry LaPage, executive director of the Bank Street BIA, could not be reached to comment.
Crawford says the initial response had been overwhelming.
“We have over 1,000 yes’s so far and very few no’s,” he said.