‘I am embarassed:’ Waterloo councillors debate future of St. Columba Church
Posted Jun 17, 2025 11:57:19 AM.
Last Updated Jun 17, 2025 12:46:24 PM.
A motion was brought forward to Waterloo City Council to discuss putting pen to paper on a potential three-year lease to change the space at St. Columba Church into an artistic studio, through ArtsBuild Ontario.
The project was previously discussed back in February, when council voted in favour of allotting $2.9 million in funding towards the project, coming from the city’s reserve funding.
It’s a move that would allow ArtsBuild Ontario to move into the space, while the city would still retain ownership of the property itself.
The council meeting saw various delegates from around the local community advocating for the artistic push from the city.
“The need is real, the demand is high,” said local artistic photographer in Kitchener, Claire Donnison. “Artists often work alone, but we grow in community.”
While some discussed the overall impact on local artists, others leaned in the direction of tourism and the visibility of the region.
“I always thought, ‘Why is Kitchener-Waterloo so boring,'” asked Helen Fidler, who lives in the area. “I want to see Waterloo look more like some of these mainstream places,” making reference to cities like Montreal and Halifax in regards to their artistic presence.
Others said the step to transition the church, which was formerly used as office space, into an artistic studio laid the groundwork for the city’s vision of helping produce future artists right here at home.
“I believe that the St. Columba space could be a really important incubator and launching pad for artists in the early stage of their career,” said Kitchener resident Sam Nambi.
While council had already previously allocated the funds necessary for the project, this motion was specifically to approve the lease itself. It was a motion, though, that drew up some contention and debate amongst councillors once a request was brought forward to defer the motion instead.
“Is this an in good faith request,” Ward 5 Councillor Jen Vasic asked. “Is this a deferral in good faith?”
She spoke to the initial reason for the request, primarily for the city to gain further information on the back-end of the project from the city’s perspective. But, Vasic stated firmly that all the requests for further information made by other councillors were tied to details that council had already been presented in the past.
“I think it’s quite clear what is being asked of us here today, and I absolutely will not support a deferral. I am embarrassed by the fact that we’re asking for one.”
Vasic was not alone in her opinions on the request for a deferral, with Ward 2 Councillor Royce Bodaly saying he thought it was a pointless endeavour.
“This is, as was noted, a trusted and reliable partner, ArtsBuild Ontario,” Bodaly said before Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe requested comments remain solely on the deferral. “I’m trying to keep my comments about the deferral, mayor, while speaking to why I think the deferral does not make sense.”
On the other side of the discussion, Ward 4 Councillor Diane Freeman spoke to questions she had about the budgetary side of the project, saying the previously agreed-upon funds may have been the wrong call.
Full clip of Ward 2 Councillor with the City of Waterloo, Royce Bodaly, on his reasons for disapproving the potential deferral of the motion.
“The question was asked, ‘What new information?'” Freeman asked. “The new information is related to our overall budget. We chose in February to dip into reserve funds. The question now is, was that the right thing to do?”
She also spoke to her previous leanings when it came to the future of St. Columba Church. She said she previously did not support the motion back in February, preferring to have seen the area centred around affordable housing instead.
Vasic stated that the message being sent to the local artistic community would be loud and clear, having potential negative ripple effects on those who are in support of it.
“I think what we are communicating is that the arts don’t matter that much to us,” Vasic stated before, again, being reminded by McCabe to keep comments related to the potential deferral. “A deferral communicates to the arts community that they do not matter.”
Ultimately, council voted in favour of deferring the motion by a slim 4-3 margin amongst councillors. It’s now set to be brought forward once again on Monday, Jun. 23.
