‘We had to lay off ourselves’: Willow River Centre forced to temporarily close due to funding concerns

A centre for the Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous community has had to close its doors due to a funding shortfall. CTV’s Heather Senoran explains how their work

A centre dedicated to empowering Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people in Waterloo Region is leaving its home in downtown Kitchener.

Co-directors Bangishimo and Amy Smoke said the move is due to unforeseen financial constraints.

“Because of that, we’ve had to lay off staff. We had to lay off ourselves and now we become volunteers in our own space,” said Bangishimo.

The plan for Willow River Centre started in 2020 when Bangishimo and Smoke realized there were no safe spaces in the region where people could connect to their Indigenous and queer identity and cultural roots. They hoped the space would host drum circles, workshops, live music, art markets, cultural teachings and community events.

“I never saw anyone who was openly queer, openly proud of that, and I didn’t feel like there was enough programing - no songs, no music, no elders to find my queerness and my Indigeneity all at the same time,” said Amy Smoke.

The centre officially opened its doors on King Street East, on Oct. 7, 2023.

“We have a great location, but the rent is not cheap,” said Smoke.

The last year has been a struggle for them financially. They said they applied for six different grants but because they’re still a newly registered non-profit, they’re not eligible for most.

In 2023 and 2024 they benefitted from the Upstream Fund through the Region of Waterloo.

“It takes a long time to get selected to win the grant to get the money, then all the criteria to be met is time consuming and precarious, to not know where funding is coming from next,” said Smoke.

According to the Region of Waterloo, the formal decision on who gets the money this year won’t be made until September.

The region told CTV News, the Upstream Fund model was meant to address funding gaps by prioritizing the needs of groups who have been historically marginalized.

“Historically we know that Black, Indigenous, racialized queer bodies have been erased from the land, displaced from their homes. It’s not anything new for us, but we’re really hoping to find more permanent space on our own lands,” Smoke said.

Until they find a new space, the duo said this isn’t the last you’ll see of the Willow River Centre in the community.

“The monthly fires in the park, the monthly drum circles. We’re going to keep doing the best that we can to bring community together, even though we don’t have the funding anymore. We’re just hoping that there’s a donor out there who might come forward and support us,” said Bangishimo.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Willow River Centre.

The King Street location will be vacate as of July 1.