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Trans Day of Remembrance 2024

On November 20th from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Spectrum will be hosting a candlelight vigil at Waterloo Town Square (75 King St. S.), to honor transgender lives lost. This event is open to the public. Please read more about the event below.

Agenda

6:30: Candle lighting / settling in the space

6:40: Welcoming drum song / thanksgiving address from Willow River Centre

6:50: Land Acknowledgement

6:55: Introduction / moment of silence

7:00 – 8:00: Main Speakers

8:00 – 8:25: Open microphone for the public to honor their loved ones

8:25 – 8:30: Closing / second moment of silence

Keep in mind this agenda is fluid, and depending on the length of speakers the evening may end earlier than 8:30 PM.

Location

Parking: There is a lot of parking options around Waterloo Public Square. The closest parking lots are on Caroline St., behind the LCBO. There is also a parking lot on the corner of Caroline St. and Erb St.

Public Transit: If you’re taking the bus, the #5 bus will take you directly to King / Waterloo Public Square. If you’re taking the light rail, there is a stop called Waterloo Public Square Station.

Accessibility: Public square is a wheelchair accessible spot. It also offers stone steps that will allow people to sit if needed. However, we do suggest bringing a towel, blanket, or pillow, as the stone can sometimes be cold or uncomfortable for long periods.

Bathrooms: There are gendered bathrooms inside of the Shops behind the Public Square. The Starbucks down King St. has a gender neutral bathroom, and there is the public outdoor bathroom which is fully accessible and gender neutral on King St./William St.

Outdoor Location: This event will only be called off if there is a severe weather advisory. While there will be tents for the resource tables and speakers, we suggest to come dressed for the weather. Be sure to dress warmly, as the nights are getting colder. The mall should be open, so you can step inside to warm up should you need to!

Resources: Candles will be provided all evening for this event. If you have a lighter, bring it along to speed up the process, but lighters will also be provided. We will also be serving warm drinks and baked goods, but you’re welcome to bring more, especially if you have dietary restrictions. Both OK2BME, ACCKWA, Spectrum, and SHORE Centre will have resource tables for you to learn more about mental health and peer support resources.

Things to Consider

Trigger Warning: Remembrance often goes hand-in-hand with current and real struggles we face. Please be aware that we may engage in topics that may be upsetting for some attendees, including discussions of violence and suicide. While we will have some peer support and mental health resources available, these can only provide a certain level of care. We suggest bringing a support person(s) or not attending if you think it would be too difficult to partake in the evening.

Fire Safety: This ceremony will have real candles and fire involved, so please be cautious with how you’re using your candle. Make sure to leave a lot of space with the people around you, and fully blow out your candle before disposing of it or taking it home with you. We will have a fire extinguisher on-site, but we hope not to have to use it if we’re all cautious of how we’re using our space. If you’re particularly adverse to fire, we will try to have a section for people with electric and other light sources to keep things relatively separate.

For any questions about the event, reach out at: info@ourspectrum.com

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SPECTRUM News

A Message from our Outgoing ED, Scott Williams

My Spectrum journey began in 2013 when Jim Parrott reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in volunteering with Waterloo Region’s new Rainbow Community Space. I said “yes” and I became Spectrum’s volunteer librarian before joining the Board of Directors in 2014-2015. I was deeply grateful to become one of Spectrum’s first paid employees at the end of 2020 when we received a large capacity-building grant that would change our trajectory as an organization.

Four years later, we now have five full-time employees and approximately 40 part-time casual employees. We have grown from a small, volunteer-run organization to what our auditors call a “going concern” with paid staff and a governance Board. In fact, Spectrum is one of very few 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations in Southern Ontario to have paid staff. I consider this a huge success and I love that we have grown enough to start being an employer of choice for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Waterloo Region.

In terms of programs, our 2019 annual report highlighted five peer support and discussion groups. We now have 13 such groups that hold about 25 meetings each month. In 2019, we had three social/recreational programs.  We now have 15, with about 50 sessions each month. We started tracking numbers of program participants in 2022 and those numbers have more than doubled from 3,188 to 6,810. We’re now having a larger positive impact on more 2SLGBTQIA+ people in our community than ever before.

With respect to budget, in 2020 we had revenue of $48,210. This was largely from municipal grants which were the backbone of our operations for a decade. Our latest audited financials show a revenue of $606,565. We have built a successful fundraising program and individuals and businesses have seen the impact of our work and helped us to increase our capacity through their generous donations. We have also diversified our grant revenue. We now apply for and receive funding from all levels of government as well as a variety of private and family foundations, and our partners at Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF). WRCF also holds our Rainbow Community Fund – an endowment fund that will help Spectrum be financially stable into the future.

These numbers are only one way to measure our impact and success. I think a more important measure is the feedback and comments from our program participants and personnel. I always say that the “Why” of Spectrum is belonging. Belonging is at the heart of everything we do. Our programs are places where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can build community and chosen family – and they do! The wordcloud below is made up of feedback from participants about what they feel are the best parts of our programs.

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to steward Spectrum these past few years. It’s truly been an honour to lead a 2SLGBTQIA+ organization when there are so few of them in Ontario. It’s also been a privilege to receive feedback from our participants and community members about the impact Spectrum has had on their lives. I’m so proud to have built the amazing staff team we have now. This is a wonderful group of community leaders who are making a positive difference in Waterloo Region every day.

I’d like to thank everyone in the Spectrum Family for their dedication and work. I’d also like to thank all of our community partners for their generous support of the organization and of me. We could not have accomplished all we have without working as the tremendous team we are.

I’m confident that Spectrum is in good hands with Suzie Taka as our next ED and I look forward to seeing what’s next for this organization that I love.

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