The 519, formerly known as The 519 Church Street Community Centre, is an agency by the

City of Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

. A Canadian charitable, non-profit organization, it operates a

community centre Community centres, community centers, or community halls 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 co ...

in the

Church and Wellesley Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

neighbourhood of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The 519 serves both its local neighbourhood and the broader

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

and

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

(

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

) communities in the Toronto area. The 519 defines its local neighbourhood by a catchment area that spans from

Bloor Street Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Parkw ...

to the north to Gerrard Street to the south, and from

Bay Street Bay Street is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial services industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Stree ...

in the west to Parliament Street in the east. According to the centre's website

The 519 is the hub of community life in Toronto's diverse Church and Wellesley Village. For over 35 years, The 519 has been working with tsneighbours and tslesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) communities to build healthy, welcoming spaces to meet, participate and celebrate together.

Governance model

The 519 is one of the City of Toronto's agencies and corporations, alongside organizations like

Build Toronto Build may refer to: * Engineering something * Construction * Physical body stature, especially muscle size; usually of the human body * Build (game engine), a 1995 first-person shooter engine * "Build" (song), a 1987 song by The Housemartins * ...

Exhibition Place Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments ...

and the

Toronto Public Library Toronto Public Library (TPL) (french: Bibliothèque publique de Toronto) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2008 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other pu ...

. Led by a community board of directors, rather than the city's parks and recreations department, The 519 leverages community insight, knowledge and resources to determine usage of the building. In 2012, for every one dollar the City of Toronto provided to keep the building open and operational for the public, the 519 brought over two dollars in community investment to provide programming

Board of management

The 519's board of management includes the local ward 13 councillor ( Kristen Wong-Tam) and 11 citizens. Citizen members of the board are elected by members of the 519 who are residents of the catchment area. The board of management is subsequently appointed by the Toronto and East York Community Council, a delegated body of

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022. Structure The cur ...

. The board operates from a modified

policy governance Policy Governance, informally known as the Carver model, is a system for organizational governance. Policy Governance defines and guides appropriate relationships between an organization's owners, board of directors, and chief executive. The Polic ...

model which ensures delegation of day-to-day leadership of the organization to the

executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

, Maura Lawless. The board is currently led by chair Margo Foster, who currently manages academic programs at

Seneca College Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is a multiple-campus public college in the Greater Toronto Area, and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada regions. It offers full-time and part-time programs at the baccalaureate, diploma, certificate and ...

Association of Community Centres

The 519 is a member of the Association of Community Centres (AOCCs), which comprises 10 volunteer board-run multi-purpose facilities providing a broad range of community, recreation and social service programs to residents in the local community. Other AOCC community centres include Swansea Town Hall,

Ralph Thornton Community Centre The Ralph Thornton Community Centre is a community centre that forms the centre of the Leslieville/South Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. The neoclassical heritage structure was originally built by the federal government to house Postal ...

and Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre (formerly known as Harbourfront Neighbourhood Centre). The AOCC model is a hybrid between a city agency and an independent, not-for-profit, community-based organization. The core administration activities are funded by the city and treated like a city agency (building maintenance and upkeep, utilities, etc.). Community programming is funded through fund-raising (corporate and individual donations, grants, etc.) and is led by the community-based Board of Management. The 519 is a member agency of the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

of Greater Toronto and the

Toronto Neighbourhood Centres Toronto Neighbourhood Centres ("TNC") is an association of multi-service nonprofit neighbourhood centres located in communities across Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current association includes 30 member agencies that provide supports to residents ...

and has received funding from various governments, corporations and foundations including the

Community One Foundation Community One Foundation, formerly the Lesbian & Gay Community Appeal, is a non-profit foundation based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that builds and supports individuals and groups that enhance the development of the LGBTTIQQ2S communities in th ...

and

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

. Details of the relationship between the City of Toronto and AOCCs are outlined in a relationship framework approved by Toronto City Council in 2006.

Programs and community services

The 519's governance model results in the development, evolution and creation of programs and services through community leadership and engagement. The centre offers staff-led programming funded through community investment as well as community-led initiatives that are volunteer-led.

Staff-led programs

The 519 offers a wide range of staff-led initiatives that serve a diverse community of members, including: *Newcomer and Refugee Settlement Services *Sport and Recreation Initiatives *Community Drop-In Programs (Meal Trans, Sunday Drop-In) *Community Support Services (Counselling, Anti-Violence) *Trans Community Services (Trans Youth Mentorship Program, Trans Sex Worker Empowerment Project, Spark: Trans Youth Sports) *Older LGBT Services (Senior Pride Network) *Family and Children Services *Queer Parenting Programs *Social Enterprise Restaurant (FABARNAK) *Research, Education and Training

Community-led programs

The 519 provides free meeting space and support for community member volunteers and community organizations to develop their own programs. In 2013, the 519 housed over 80 community led programs (in areas of community services, education, recreation, and self-help), and welcomed 250 regular user groups (in areas of community fundraising, recreation, professional associations and unions, social activists, social service organizations and tenants’ organizations). The 519 estimates in its 2012 annual report that approximately 35,000 individuals visited the centre over 200,000 times. The 519 also actively supports a number of community-led partnerships such as the AIDS Candelight Vigil, the AIDS Memorial, and volunteer-led legal and tax clinics.

Strategic initiatives

In addition to ongoing programs and services, the 519 invests organizational resources in a number of strategic initiatives and partnerships that help to create healthier more welcoming communities for its members:

Community sport and recreation centre

In November 2013, the 519 submitted a report to

seeking authorization to develop a sport and recreation centre in the

West Don Lands The West Don Lands are the site of a neighbourhood under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is bordered by the Don River, King Street, Parliament Street and the rail line adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway. It is in size. A f ...

neighbourhood of Toronto.http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.CD25.12 City Council Report: The 519 Sport and Recreation Project The new centre would provide space and services to the local neighbourhood while also providing a home for lesbian, gay, bi, trans (LGBT) sport leagues and recreational organizations in the city. It is believed that this would be the first LGBT athletic centre in the world. The proposal's early supporters include city councillor

Pam McConnell Pamela Margaret McConnell (February 14, 1946 – July 7, 2017) was a municipal politician in Ontario, Canada. She served on Metro Toronto Council from 1994 to 1998, and on Toronto City Council from 1998 until her death in 2017. McConnell receive ...

, former Olympian and Hart House warden

Bruce Kidd Bruce Kidd, (born July 26, 1943) is a Canadian academic, author, and athlete. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was a member of the University of Toronto track and field team. He won 18 national senior championships in Canada, the United States, and Br ...

, and the

Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association (GLISA) was an international gay and lesbian, culture and human rights association. Their last update was issued in March 2016, and the website has been offline since October 2017. The focus of ...

. The report was adopted unanimously by the Community Development and Recreation Committee and was adopted on December 18, 2013, by Toronto City Council in a vote of 28-2 with Councillor

James Pasternak James Pasternak ( ; born February 15, 1959) is a Canadian politician who represents Ward 6 York Centre on the Toronto City Council. Pasternak has served on council since he was elected in 2010, representing Ward 10 (later amalgamated into Ward 6) ...

and Mayor

Rob Ford Robert Bruce Ford (May 28, 1969 – March 22, 2016) was a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. Before and after his term as mayor, Ford was a city councillor representing Ward 2 Etobi ...

voting against the proposal. With this approval, staff of the City of Toronto and the 519 are now authorized to negotiate on a site for the new centre and to build a formal business case for approval by council at a later date.

The Village Study

The Village Study was a one-year urban and social planning exercise for the

community that was funded by

TD Bank Group Toronto-Dominion Bank (french: links=no, Banque Toronto-Dominion), doing business as TD Bank Group (french: links=no, Groupe Banque TD), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. T ...

and led by the 519 with the support of the Planning Partnership. Questions posed by the study included "What is the role of an ‘LGBTQ village’ in a modern, progressive city?" and "What must be done to support the Church-Wellesley Village to solidify its role as a major cultural community hub in the Toronto context now and into the future?"Paul Gallant, "Ready for a Renaissance". ''In Toronto'', June 2013. The final report of the Village Study is expected in early 2014 as the community prepares for

World Pride WorldPride, licensed by InterPride and organized by one of its member organizations, is an event that promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ pride) issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other c ...

PrideHouseTO

The 519 is the trustee of the PrideHouseTO initiative, a collaborative project of more than 15 community organizations working together to make the

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

the most LGBT-inclusive

multi-sport event A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of interna ...

in history. The PrideHouseTO leadership team includes organizations such as

Toronto Metropolitan University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

Egale Canada Egale Canada (formerly Equality for Gays And Lesbians Everywhere) is an advocacy organization founded in 1986 by Les McAfee to advance equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families, across Canada. ...

, the

and the Toronto chapter of

PFLAG PFLAG is the United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+). PFLAG National is the national organization, which provides support to ...

. As trustee, the 519 provides administrative and project management support to the volunteer-led initiative. PrideHouseTO is modeled after the

Pride House Pride House is a dedicated temporary location which plays host to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) athletes, volunteers and visitors attending the Olympics, Paralympics or other international sporting event in the host city. The firs ...

movement which was founded in 2010 during the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

Capital expansion

In 2001, as use of the building reached capacity, the 519 undertook a process to raise money for a three-story addition to be built onto the existing structure. The 519's capital campaign, chaired by

Salah Bachir (, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba with ...

, successfully raised money from the local community to fund the new wing. The addition of the Salah J. Bachir Wing and the renovation of the original building resulted in a 43 per cent increase in community space. The organization celebrated a grand reopening on May 19, 2010.

References

External links

The 519 Church Street Community Centre
��Official website

��Association of Community Centres {{DEFAULTSORT:519 1975 establishments in Ontario LGBT community centres LGBT culture in Toronto Municipal buildings in Toronto Non-profit organizations based in Toronto