The Glebe Community Centre is a noted building 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...

, 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...

, that is the symbolic heart of the Glebe

The Glebe

The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area, with its northern border being demarcated by the Queensway highway. It is bounded by the Rideau Canal to the south and east. Many maps show the western edge as Bronson Avenue, but some also...

 neighbourhood. Construction began in 1914 and took ten years. Originally built as St. James Methodist Church, it became St. James United Church only a year after its completion when the United Church

United Church of Canada

The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...

 came into being in 1925. The massive Palladian style structure was designed by Clarence Burritt.

In the 1960s and 1970s church attendance declined and in 1973 St. James was merged with Glebe United Church located just two blocks to the north, creating Glebe-St. James United Church

Glebe-St. James United Church

Glebe St. James United Church, located in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood, was formed in 1965 from a merger of the Glebe and St. James congregations...

. The building was bought by the city and converted into 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...

.

In the late 1990s, the city pushed to close the structure in favour of building a new community centre in Brewer Park that would serve both the Glebe and Old Ottawa South

Old Ottawa South

Old Ottawa South is an older urban neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. As of the Canada 2006 Census, 8,168 people lived in Old Ottawa South, a relatively small and compact neighbourhood, located between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River . The eastern boundary is defined by Riverdale Avenue and...

. Both communities protested this plan and it was scrapped. Instead, extensive renovations were undertaken, which were completed in October 2004.

The Glebe Community Centre is known for the diverse programs it offers to children and youth. In summer 2005, the GCC began the Glebe Leadership Program, a youth leadership camp for 12-16 year olds. The camp is run by Tim Lamothe, former Student Council President of Glebe Collegiate Institute, and has been praised for its unique approach to teaching leadership to young teens.