On August 10th of this year, the Pride Centre of Edmonton was devastated by a fire that destroyed its electrical panel, and electricity has yet to be restored to the building.
Fortunately, the fire happened after operating hours and no one was injured, and although it was determined to be arson, the Edmonton Police Hate Crimes Unit have not discerned it to be a hate crime. Determined to continue on with its important work, the Pride Centre of Edmonton is going full force with a new space and an expanding program.
Ashley Matchem, Executive Director of the Centre since February is excited about the positive turn of events. "We are still in negotiation with our new space at Grant MacEwan, but funny enough we just got word from the City of Edmonton (who controls its permitting) that we have been approved for the space." The Centre is hoping to open by December 15th.
"The new space will more than meet our needs," Matchem adds. "But it does require some renovations in order to make it move-in ready. These renovations include making the space accessible and the creation of a dedicated space of our youth programming."
The youth programming will potentially involve a mentoring program, trans program, and an anti-bullying program. They are also putting a call out for any youth from the ages of 25 and under to serve on the Youth Advisory Board.
On November 14th, the Centre launched a month long fundraising campaign to meet an external goal of $20,000. The Centre is in need of some upgrades to make the space suitable for its needs, and the conditional grants and small private donations will not cover it.
"Fortunately, the fundraising drive has exceeded expectations," says Matchem, "but we are more than happy to accept donations from anyone."
"Our goal is ambitious, but our need is critical, and the new space is an exciting opportunity for the Centre to renew and improve our services," says Wade King, Board Past President.
Current programs the Centre offers are about as diverse as the community, and rightly so. These range from Womonspace, Umbrella Group (youth), Seniors Drop-In, an Art Group, an Alcohol Addictions Group, and even a Dinner and a Movie Night, to name a few. They also house one of the largest queer libraries in Canada.
At this current juncture, staff are working from home or working in a temporary space at HIV Edmonton – even a space at a coffee shop can make for a working space for the day. A familiar, consistent space is not surprisingly a welcome notion.
With this being said, you can also help by other means than donating. The Centre wants and needs volunteers! "Volunteers are definitely needed! They are a huge part of what we do," adds Matchem. "We are expanding on our counselling programs as 40% of our calls are counselling related."
Successful community centres are crucial to our queer community. Drawing near the end of a year filled with teen suicides and global human rights at the forefront, a safe space to foster creative ideas and to support those in need is exactly what our queer brothers and sisters need. Most admirable are the dedicated staff and volunteers that, regardless of these recent challenges, continue to make sure the Centre is running. But the Pride Centre of Edmonton and its programs cannot survive without the assistance of its community. Take a look at their website and see how you can help.