At its meeting on February 16, 2024, the Board of Directors of CreateTO considered Item RA9.6 and made recommendations to City Council. Summary from the report (February 2, 2024) from the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO: The Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation (“Somali Centre”) is a registered non-profit organization led by a group of Somali Canadian young professionals from across Ontario aiming to create a dedicated cultural recreation and community space for the Somali population in Toronto. According to the organization, there has been a 40-year effort from the Somali community to develop a culture and recreation centre in Toronto to address the needs of this under-served community. Beginning in the 1970s, the community began working with local leaders and politicians to advocate for this type of facility. The main goal of this centre is to create a “…central space for the Somali community to gather and receive culturally appropriate community services from non-profit service providers and agencies.” After decades of advocacy, Toronto City Council adopted a motion in July 2022 to direct City of Toronto and CreateTO staff to work with the Somali Centre on a feasibility study to identify potential sites for this facility. This report provides an outline of the collaborative process undertaken by CreateTO, the City of Toronto, and the Somali Centre and provides a staff review of their feasibility study. Next steps will include a continued effort to work together and to understand the operating model and long-term financial feasibility of the Somali Centre.
No projects traced to this item yet.