The 519 Church Street Community Centre

Archive for July, 2009

Executive Director responds to MP’s commentary on Pride funding.

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Brad Trost, Member of Parliament
Justice Building, Room 113
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

July 8, 2009

Dear Mr. Trost,

RE: Your commentary on MTEP funding for Pride Toronto

I am writing to express the disappointment I felt in reading your remarks to the media yesterday. I understand you are critical of the recent decision by the Marquee Tourism Events Program to fund Pride Toronto.

As the Executive Director of The 519 Church Street Community Centre, I can attest to the effects the funding and the festival have on our local community and economy. For our part, we see over 20,000 people celebrating the diversity of our communities at our annual Green Space on Church events, which are official events of Pride Toronto. Throughout the week leading up to Pride we host various newcomers and refugees, families and children, and the whole diversity of the community. This year we joined the Toronto Police Service in hosting their annual Pride Reception. Attended by men and women, straight and gay and of every race, creed and colour, Pride truly reflects a wide range of Canadian backgrounds and perspectives.

Important to note however, is the fact that our Pride celebrations play a key role in our success as a Community Centre, and in our ability to serve the needs of the diverse population of Downtown Toronto. Thanks to the success of our Pride programming, we are able to spend the rest of the year serving seniors, providing free counselling services, assisting newcomers and refugees, and supporting families in our early years programs. A successful Pride celebration ensures our continued ability to serve the broad community, and your government should be proud that through this funding it contributed to that success.

I would like to personally invite you to visit The 519 and see first hand the positive impact that Pride is having in our communities and on local businesses in the neighbourhood. The success of this vital vibrant festival is indeed a Marquee Event for Toronto and the whole country.

Sincerely,

[Original Signed]

Maura Lawless
Executive Director

Tags: Brad Trost, Diane Ablonczy, Funding, Government of Canada, Maura Lawless, MTEP, Pride, Pride Toronto
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