We Have Meeting Rooms Available
The SPCC headquarters at 24 Downie St. has two rooms available to organized groups and informal gatherings. Each is approximately 500 sq ft. They are separated by solid oak double doors good for sound dampening.
The front room overlooks the street through large sunny windows. It is home to our library of more than 200 LGBTQ+-related books. The room has seating for 11 people -- four high stools at a high table in one of the windows, four upholstered armchairs arranged around a large ottoman in front of an electric fireplace, a single deep cushioned armchair on its own in a corner of the room. Two desk chairs normally used at the staff computer centre can be moved around the room. A washroom and small kitchen with counter, a refrigerator, coffee maker, kettle and a small double sink top off the facilities. Generally, this room is left unreserved for use by people casually dropping in to meet with friends, use the library, read, play board games, or must take a break from the day. It can be booked outside of regular opening hours.
The back room is an interior space without windows, and so is good for making use of our 42" TV with ports allowing for Powerpoint and other electronic video presentations, as well as a TV with a basic Bell suite of TV stations and OUT-TV, Canada' nationwide LGBTQ+ station. There are 20 stackable upholstered chairs that can be moved around in any configuration. It also has two wooden armchairs. There are three tables, one a six-foot boardroom style table, and two smaller ones of about three and four feet respectively.
Except for the washroom and kitchen, our entirely floor is covered by wall-to-wall carpet.
Our space is primarily reached via an indoor 25-step staircase from the front sidewalk at 24 Downie St. The stairs arrive at a landing adjacent to the front door.
We do have a door in the backroom that leads directly from our building into the second floor of Festival Square mall at 10 Downie. There are four steps to the landing connecting these neighbouring buildings. The mall has an elevator to and from ground level. This connection is available to us only during daytime mall business hours, roughly 9-5.
Our building owner and the SPCC are actively looking for grants to allow installation of an electric lift, making our space fully accessible via the back entrance.
On most occasions, we do not charge a fee for use of our rooms, as part of our mandate is to break down barriers, including prohibitively high rental costs that have prevented the formation of LGBTQ+ groups in the past. We are a registered not-for-profit corporation. We do ask for a PWYC donation to the SPCC by groups using our space strictly to help us pay our rent and operational costs.
At all times during your use of the room, at least one SPCC volunteer will be on hand to assist you.
To discuss booking a room, contact us at pride@stratfordpride.com or call us at 519-273-SPCC during our regular hours of Thursday-Sunday, 10am-5pm.