Montreal announces $625K investment for Canada’s first French-speaking LGBT+ community centre

Luc Rabouin, Executive Committee member responsible for economic development and higher education for the City of Montreal. (Source: Facebook)

As Pride Week comes to an end this weekend, the City of Montreal announced Friday the creation of Espace + Village, which will become the first French-speaking LGBT+ community centre in Canada.

Both the city and the Ville-Marie borough are investing $425,000 and $200,000, respectively, for the new building, which will be located near the corner of Sainte-Catherine Street East and Saint-Timothée Street, in the heart of the Village neighbourhood.

In a press release, the city says the new, carbon-neutral space will house more than a dozen not-for-profit organizations in various sectors “to create safe and accessible spaces for LGBTQ+ populations and to host community services and cultural events that will promote the Village’s unique identity.”

“This new space is much more than a building. It is a place of identity, a community anchor, a space of solidarity for the organizations, artists, and citizens who bring the Village to life,” said Luc Rabouin, Executive Committee member responsible for economic development and higher education for the City of Montreal.

“With this new financial contribution, we are reiterating our unwavering support for the Village and LGBTQIA2S+ communities and organizations and highlighting their crucial importance in making Montreal and the downtown core ever more inclusive. This project contributes to the city’s reputation as a city of identity, like Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Saskatoon, and affirms its commitment to inclusion and diversity.”

The $625,000 investment is in addition to the $400,000 invested last year under a program to help Espace LGBT+ acquire the building, bringing the total contribution from the city to $1.025 million.

“In recent years, LGBTQIA2S+ organizations around the world have seen their community spaces and resources increasingly limited. Montreal recognizes the essential role these organizations play in the vitality of our neighbourhoods, the strengthening of the social fabric and the support of our communities. That is why we are taking direct action to help the LGBTQ+ Space and its partners realize this long-awaited project: Espace + Village,” added Robert Beaudry, councillor for the Saint-Jacques district in the Ville-Marie borough.

“The Village is a unique neighbourhood, shaped by the commitment of its communities. This project will consolidate that identity. It is the queer organizations and associations that make the neighbourhood vibrant. Hats off to Espace LGBTQ+ and its partners for their commitment to making this project a success.”

Pride Week in Montreal ends on Sunday, with the marquee event — the Pride parade — taking place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.