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Public Statement: Temporary Closure of Willow River Centre

To Our Kin and Community,

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Willow River Centre’s temporary closure at our current location, 243 King St E in Kitchener.

Due to ongoing and unforeseen financial constraints, we are no longer in a sustainable position to maintain the space. This decision was not made lightly. As the only Indigenous, Two-Spirit, and Queer-led organization in the region, we have worked to create a space where we are not only safer — but celebrated.

Over the past year, we have applied for numerous grants to cover lease costs and were denied at nearly every turn. In the end, we became solely dependent on the Upstream Fund through the Region of Waterloo — a fund that was never intended to carry the full weight of operating a community centre.

But this is about more than trying to maintain space or be on the land in a colonial neoliberal capitalist system not designed for us. It speaks to the ongoing displacement of Indigenous Trans and Queer communities in so-called Canada, because once again, we find ourselves without space — just as Pride Month and National Indigenous Peoples Month approach. We cannot ignore the harm or the deep irony of losing our space during the very months meant to honour our identities, cultures, and contributions.

We are actively working to secure a qualified tenant to take over the lease by July 1st. We remain committed to a smooth transition and are doing all we can to minimize disruption.

To our beloved community: Your Support is what built Willow River Centre, and your support is what will carry us forward. This is a pause from a physical space — not an end to our work. We will continue with our monthly gatherings and are already dreaming up what comes next — in support of the Indigenous, Black, racialized, and queer/trans folx who are continually displaced. But we need your help. We need space. We need solidarity. We need people who believe in us to stand with us, now more than ever.

Our work is not finished!

We are launching this GoFundMe to help us:

Every donation makes a difference.

Every share extends our reach.

Every act of support tells our people: you are worth fighting for.

Willow River Centre is more than a space — it’s a movement.

Please stand with us.

With responsibility, resistance, and deep gratitude,

Bangishimo & Amy Smoke

Co-Directors, Willow River Centre