GLBTTQ Community Centre of Ottawa
Encyclopedia
The Gay
, Lesbian
, Bisexual, Trans
, Two-Spirit
, and Queer
Community Centre of Ottawa is an incorporated non-profit organization which works towards providing a community centre
for the LGBT
community in Ottawa
, the capital of Canada
.
For a time the initiative managed to lease a space near the intersection of Bank and Nepean Streets. This community centre served to provide an alternative space for a variety of PTS projects as well as a location to host the events and projects of other organizations in Ottawa's LGBT community.
In 2004 Bob Chiarelli
, the mayor of Ottawa, pledged his support for a community centre, although no actual details were given at the time. In 2005 an emergency summit was held to discuss the future of the community centre initiative. As members of the ad hoc
committee felt that the task was too daunting to continue and it was replaced with new membership in a steering committee.
The new steering committee members went to task and, with both direct and indirect help from PTS, To Be, Capital Xtra!
and the city of Ottawa, was able to begin the process of incorporating into its own organisation. In 2006 the city of Ottawa provided a $5000 CDN Trust held by Pink Triangle Services to begin the process of incorporation
which would finally result in the receipt of Letters Patent
in April of the same year.
, Lesbian
, Bisexual, Trans
, Two-Spirit
, and Queer
Community Centre of Ottawa, Inc."
As of May 2006, the new corporation is on its way to applying for charitable status
under Canadian law. On September 17, 2006 the Community Centre's inaugural Annual General Meeting was held. Guests included City of Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli
, and a group of Two-Spirit Drummers from Minwaashin Lodge. Five new Trustees were elected and the Nominations Committee was charged with seeking new candidates to fill the remaining vacancies. The proposed corporate by-laws were also passed and the members received the Chair
's report and a financial statement from the Treasurer
.
The 2006-07 board began the process of strengthening ties within Ottawa's LGBT
community as well as consulting with various parts of it in order to further develop its strategic planning.
In late 2008 a GLBTTQ Community Centre of Ottawa Facebook group was created and a core group of volunteers began preparations for a special General Meeting to elect a new Board of Trustees and reinvigorate the project. That Special General Meeting took place on February 19, 2009, elected a seven-member Board of Trustees.
, and Transsexual, as well as Queer and Questioning peoples. Other members wished to have an unrelated name such as was the case with The 519 Church St. Community Centre
, which would put no particular emphasis on any group.
Ultimately the above name was chosen and it was decided that the general community would later be invited to make suggestions for a working name and logo for the community centre. The acronym used by this organisation is unique not just in Canada but world wide. The community centre has also recognised the variety of identities used by members of the LGBT
community and seeks to welcome all those groups and their allies.
, such as the Gay Village
in Montreal
, Davie Village
in Vancouver
or Church and Wellesley
in Toronto
. This, combined with the City of Ottawa's recommendations regarding the location, has made choosing a potential site for the project a bit of a problem.
Many members of the community feel that the area around the intersection of Bank
and Somerset Streets is the core of the gay community while others feel that other neighbourhoods also have large concentrations of LGBT
peoples.
While no decision has been made it has been noted by the steering committee that issues of accessibility and infrastructure will be critical to the centre's future location(s). As a result the steering committee initiated plans to survey the LGBT community through the media, and its website.
this caused some backlash in the general community. However, this controversy seemed to have died down around the same time as Alex Munter
announced his candidacy for mayor
, as well as next to the more prominent local issues.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, Lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Bisexual, Trans
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit People , is an English term that emerged in 1990 out of the third annual inter-tribal Native American/First Nations gay/lesbian American conference in Winnipeg. It describes Indigenous North Americans who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native...
, and Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
Community Centre of Ottawa is an incorporated non-profit organization which works towards providing a community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
for the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, the capital of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
GLBTQ groups in Ottawa have had a variety of initiatives to try to create a visible focal point for their community in recent decades. Each of these projects has appeared to build upon the efforts of the previous project.ALGO Years
One of the earliest groups to have attempted to create a LGBT community centre was the Association of Lesbians and Gays of Ottawa. The project came at a time when homosexuality was still treated as criminal, a disease, and/or a deviancy. ALGO was successful in organising a variety of social events for the LGBT community in the city.Pink Triangle Services' Initiative
In later years as ALGO eventually declined in Ottawa's community the project to create a community centre was picked up by Pink Triangle Services (or PTS). As PTS grew and so did the number of services it provided to the city's GLBT citizens it became necessary to expand their facilities. To date, PTS continues to lease space for their facilities. Part of the intention behind the LGBT community centre of Ottawa Initiative was to create a space that could house PTS and other LGBT organisations at a reasonable cost.For a time the initiative managed to lease a space near the intersection of Bank and Nepean Streets. This community centre served to provide an alternative space for a variety of PTS projects as well as a location to host the events and projects of other organizations in Ottawa's LGBT community.
In 2004 Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
, the mayor of Ottawa, pledged his support for a community centre, although no actual details were given at the time. In 2005 an emergency summit was held to discuss the future of the community centre initiative. As members of the ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
committee felt that the task was too daunting to continue and it was replaced with new membership in a steering committee.
The new steering committee members went to task and, with both direct and indirect help from PTS, To Be, Capital Xtra!
Capital Xtra!
Xtra Ottawa is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was launched in 1993. Unlike its biweekly sister publications Xtra in Toronto and Xtra Vancouver in Vancouver, Xtra Ottawa, which started as a monthly, is now published 17 times a...
and the city of Ottawa, was able to begin the process of incorporating into its own organisation. In 2006 the city of Ottawa provided a $5000 CDN Trust held by Pink Triangle Services to begin the process of incorporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
which would finally result in the receipt of Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
in April of the same year.
GLBTTQ Community Centre of Ottawa, Inc.
Upon receiving its letters patent, the community centre initiative became "The GayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, Lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, Bisexual, Trans
Trans
Trans is a Latin noun or prefix, meaning "across", "beyond" or "on the opposite side".Trans may refer to:- Science and technology :* Cis-trans isomerism, in chemistry, a form of stereoisomerism...
, Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit People , is an English term that emerged in 1990 out of the third annual inter-tribal Native American/First Nations gay/lesbian American conference in Winnipeg. It describes Indigenous North Americans who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native...
, and Queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
Community Centre of Ottawa, Inc."
As of May 2006, the new corporation is on its way to applying for charitable status
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
under Canadian law. On September 17, 2006 the Community Centre's inaugural Annual General Meeting was held. Guests included City of Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
, and a group of Two-Spirit Drummers from Minwaashin Lodge. Five new Trustees were elected and the Nominations Committee was charged with seeking new candidates to fill the remaining vacancies. The proposed corporate by-laws were also passed and the members received the Chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
's report and a financial statement from the Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
.
The 2006-07 board began the process of strengthening ties within Ottawa's LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community as well as consulting with various parts of it in order to further develop its strategic planning.
In late 2008 a GLBTTQ Community Centre of Ottawa Facebook group was created and a core group of volunteers began preparations for a special General Meeting to elect a new Board of Trustees and reinvigorate the project. That Special General Meeting took place on February 19, 2009, elected a seven-member Board of Trustees.
Controversies
Though the process of creating the community centre has been relatively smooth there have been some minor controversies.Name
One of the first controversies was over the name of the new corporation. the previous community centre had been named using the term GLBT but with a mind towards inclusivity some members of the community wished the corporation to include more Ts and Qs to represent Two-Spirit, both TransgenderTransgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, and Transsexual, as well as Queer and Questioning peoples. Other members wished to have an unrelated name such as was the case with The 519 Church St. Community Centre
The 519 Church St. Community Centre
The 519 Church Street Community Centre, colloquially The 519, is a Canadian charitable, non-profit community centre in the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario...
, which would put no particular emphasis on any group.
Ultimately the above name was chosen and it was decided that the general community would later be invited to make suggestions for a working name and logo for the community centre. The acronym used by this organisation is unique not just in Canada but world wide. The community centre has also recognised the variety of identities used by members of the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community and seeks to welcome all those groups and their allies.
Location
Unlike many major urban areas in Canada, the city of Ottawa does not have an official gay villageGay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
, such as the Gay Village
Gay Village, Montreal
Montreal's Gay Village is located on Saint Catherine Street East, centred on Beaudry metro station, and on Amherst Street in the Ville-Marie borough of the city...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Davie Village
Davie Village
Davie Village is a neighbourhood in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the home of the city's gay subculture, and, as such, is often considered a gay village or "gaybourhood". It is centred on Davie Street and roughly includes the area between Burrard and Jervis streets...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
or Church and Wellesley
Church and Wellesley
Church and Wellesley is an LGBT-oriented community located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is roughly bounded by Gerrard Street to the south, Yonge Street to the west, Charles Street to the north, and Jarvis Street to the east, with the core commercial strip located along Church Street from...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. This, combined with the City of Ottawa's recommendations regarding the location, has made choosing a potential site for the project a bit of a problem.
Many members of the community feel that the area around the intersection of Bank
Bank Street (Ottawa)
Bank Street is the major north-south road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs south from Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, south through the neighbourhoods of Centretown, The Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, and then through the villages of Blossom Park, Leitrim, South...
and Somerset Streets is the core of the gay community while others feel that other neighbourhoods also have large concentrations of LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
peoples.
While no decision has been made it has been noted by the steering committee that issues of accessibility and infrastructure will be critical to the centre's future location(s). As a result the steering committee initiated plans to survey the LGBT community through the media, and its website.
Funding
In 2006 the community centre initiative received aprox. $5000 Canadian to support the process of incorporation. With the upcoming mayoral elections in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
this caused some backlash in the general community. However, this controversy seemed to have died down around the same time as Alex Munter
Alex Munter
Alexander Mathias Munter is a former politician and journalist in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario....
announced his candidacy for mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, as well as next to the more prominent local issues.