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We are much more when we are together
than we can ever be when we are separate.
This project started during Pride in June of 2008. It started with an awareness that there is no one place that the LGBTQ community in Victoria can call a “front door”, and no one place where we could all gather together to explore and support our diversities. And we have so much worth sharing!
The next several months included many informal “surveys” to test whether there was support for the idea. It turned out that there was (and is) a great deal of support. So, in the early months of 2009, a small group of interested people started to meet to talk over the idea. Since some of the first people to show interest in the project were from UVic Pride, the first meeting was held there.
After that, as the group grew, we met for awhile at the Serious Coffee shop in Cook St Village. We reviewed mission statements from LGBTQ Centres across Canada, and a couple in the US, to help us solidify our direction. The project was moving along into fast forward, with lots of enthusiasm and support.
Once we had a rough mission statement of our own, we used available contact information for LGBTQ community organizations in Victoria, and sent out an email to gage their interest and support for the project. In response to that email, John, owner of Paisley Restaurant in Esquimalt offered us space in his restaurant to hold meetings. We sent another email out asking for organization representatives, and other interested people, to come to a meeting to discuss the merits of the project and provide input. Based on the response from that meeting, we held several more meetings that helped us solidify the project's directions.
Quite a few people from the community came forth to offer help until finally we had a core group that became the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee included lesbians, gays, trans people along with a youth representative from Camosun Pride. The Steering Committee has continued to meet to do the work of creating the society that will become the community centre, and to find ways of letting our community know that we are here and what we are doing.
Starting in May 2009, we instituted a ”coin drive” fundraiser to raise enough money to move the project forward through confirming a name, applying for incorporation, applying for needed documentation for serious fundraising, and of course, some money to get ready for Pride. Many people and organizations contributed to the fund raising effort, including PFLAG who managed to raise a few hundred dollars for us. We are very grateful for all the support.
Support from Victoria Pride allowed us to participate in the 2009 Pride Parade and Picnic. We used an “Under Construction” theme and wore hot pink hardhats. Terry, Sunni, and Jeanne carried the banner for us in the parade and made quite a scene. We had a great time talking to people in our booth at the Pride Picnic and again received a great deal of support for the project.
Over the last few months we have secured a name for our society, South Island Pride Community Centre Society, submitted a Constitution and Bylaws for incorporation, and begun to make plans for the future of the centre.
On July 28th, we received notice of incorporation as of the 24th of July 2009, so now members of the steering committee are sitting as the original Board of Directors.
In the future, we would also like to form an Advisory Committee consisting of leaders from our own queer community, and from the Greater Victoria community, that would meet from time to time to provide valuable assistance and direction for our community centre.
The South Island Pride Community Centre's day-to-day activities will be overseen by an Executive Director. In the beginning, this position will be a volunteer position, but as the Centre grows and funding becomes available, staff will be hired. And of course, no organization like this would be able to function without a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers.
The programs at the South Island Pride Community Centre will be divided into three main categories: Youth Programming, Seniors Programming, and General Programming. Within these categories there will be a combination of outreach programs, educational opportunities, and social activities. We hope to start some of our programming this fall using facilities already available in Victoria.
And of course, we are looking for some affordable office space.
So this is where we are now. We are growing. We are excited by the project.
If you would like to help, Contact us. We would love to hear from you.
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