Group hopes to transform historic Halifax building into first queer heritage site in Canada

The Turret Arts Space Society is hoping to designate 1588 Barrington St. as a queer heritage site. (Source: Facebook/Turret Arts Space Society)

A Halifax group is hoping to transform the historic Khyber building into the first official queer heritage site in the country in time for Canada Pride in two years, and to do so they’re looking to secure support from the municipality – soon.

The Turret Arts Space Society has been working to restore the building at 1588 Barrington St., which shut down due to structural issues in 2014. The space has housed a variety of groups, including the Church of England Institute, a hostel and a café.

In 1972 the Gay Alliance for Equality was formed and it held its first disco event at the Barrington Street building in 1976, offering a friendly space for the Halifax queer community.

“They kept this programing and events going,” said Angela Henderson, a board member with the Society. “They had all sorts of places for people to meet.

“From 1976 to 1982 while they were hosting these events, they were returning profits into their organization. This history of Canada was iconic. It really shaped the advancement of human rights for queer folks.”

The Society wants to preserve that history by designating the building as Canada’s first queer heritage site, which would involve incorporating permanent and rotating art pieces on the theme of queer heritage in the space.

“This site is important for the history it contains,” Henderson said. “What we’re trying to do is open our doors with this designation by the time Canada Pride is hosted in Halifax in 2027.”

In order to meet that deadline (Canada Pride will be in Halifax in July 2027), the Society made a presentation to Halifax’s Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee last month, seeking an investment of $1.5 million.

That proposed funding would cover site preparation, complete hazardous material abatement, security, construction documents, project management, strategic planning and collaboration for the queer heritage designation pilot.

Alexis Cormier, project consultant with the Society, says the team has already completed the partial removal of hazardous materials in the space and is preparing an investigation into its overall structure.

“The Turret can run six months of activity while we complete private fundraising,” Cormier said. “HRM’s funds that we would ask for would be used immediately.

“Six months of design work and gutting of the building, then 18 months to complete the construction. We feel confident in that construction period. The organization would operational after 12 months.”

To meet the 2027 deadline, Cormier said they would need a response from the municipality about the funding proposal by June.

Councillor Laura White, who said it would be “lovely to see the building restored,” noted the staff report on the request isn’t expected to be ready until October.

“If Turret has to wait for HRM’s final decision until the end of 2025 (6 months later than requested), it would be difficult for the building to be opened by Canada Pride 2027, as is outlined in the presentation to the CPED in March,” Cormier said in an email. “Turret will continue to collaborate with HRM to make some headway while we wait. We will continue to finalize discussions regarding Federal and Provincial support, which could inspire HRM to expedite their assessment.”

In 2023, the Society received $200,000 from the federal government to help finalize design and business plans.

Whenever the building is ready, two of its “anchor tenants” will be the Khyber Centre for the Arts and Leave Out Violence Nova Scotia. The Society is also hoping to host a café and an artist residency program.

“The space seeks to support artists through the whole lifespan of an artistic career,” Henderson said. “I think this space is unique because it broadens our understanding of art. It also has this social thread where different arts communities are supporting each other.”

Andrew Deveaux, a NSCAD graduate who works with the Society, said Halifax has lacked “brick and mortar spaces” to support the arts community.

“A lot of the spaces we’ve had historically haven’t been able to operate sustainably,” Deveaux said. “This is an effort to compensate for what’s been lost. It’s also accessible to the public. I found myself in the situation of not having publicly accessible spaces to maintain or develop my practice.”

Cormier said the finished space would be an economic driver for the region and an incubator for future artists.

“I was raised here and I remember being in the building as a teenager when it was the Khyber and the community it built,” Cormier said. “It seems this building has the spirit to bring people together. The idea that a space that is healthy and is protected and is a reliable resource is not something we’ve had as an artistic and social community.

“Two anchor tenants are so critical to the fabric of our city. They are generating healthy community leaders. Twenty years from now, I’d be voting for someone who came through that building.”

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