Nothing says “fresh start” like an official ribbon cutting. It was a fun part of the grand opening celebration held Wednesday for Cornerstone Housing for Women’s new 46-bed supportive housing residence located on Eccles Street in West Centretown.
Attendees included donors, volunteers and those involved in the transformation of a four-storey office and former school into a home for 46 women experiencing chronic homelessness.
The gathering doubled as a fundraiser. Cornerstone has roughly $280,000 more to raise to complete its $1.5-million campaign, according to its director of communications and fundraising, Amber Bramer. Business leaders are gathering tonight to hopefully net another $75,000 to help with programs and furniture, she added. The total cost for the 44 Eccles project was $26 million.
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On hand to welcome everyone was interim executive director Kate Jackson, followed by brief speeches from Bishop Shane Parker of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and Cornerstone board chair Mark Holzman, who formerly worked in housing policy, research and programs at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). They were joined by Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre) and Ottawa city councillor Ariel Troster (Somerset Ward). Both their governments helped make 44 Eccles happen.
Naqvi was well-acquainted with the building at one time; it was where he took his bar exam prep course in order to become a lawyer nearly 25 years ago.
He called 44 Eccles a “shining example” of a residence-generating conversion. It’s a trend he and Troster strongly support for the downtown core “so that we can create even more housing, more affordable housing, more supportive housing for people in our community.”
The new Cornerstone residence was one of three local projects to receive federal funding through CMHC’s Rapid Housing Initiative aimed at creating more safe, supportive and affordable homes.
Troster expressed a genuine and warm welcome to the women who will be moving into the building, starting Monday. “We’re very, very excited to meet our new neighbours.”
She’s been advocating to increase supportive housing as a solution to the city’s current chronic homeless problem. “I keep saying we need this,” she added. “We need it on steroids, we need it times 50, we need it times 100.”
Troster is also a proud monthly donor of Cornerstone.
Guests were invited to tour all four floors of the residence and to enjoy some of the food and drinks being served by Play Food & Wine, Absinthe, Corner Peach, Pho Tuan, Broadhead Brewery and social enterprise Carlington Booch.
Pat McDonald, co-founder and co-owner of McDonald Brothers Construction (MBC), participated in the cutting of the purple ribbon, done with purple ceremonial scissors under a purple banner. MBC did the renovation work on 44 Eccles. The partnership was “gratifying”, McDonald told OBJ.social.
MBC, which has been in business for 36 years, does similar work with non-profit Salus Ottawa. “As we’re getting a little older, it allows us to feel like we’re giving back rather than just building an office building or a school,” McDonald explained.
Not only is MBC matching up to $35,000 in donations to Cornerstone until the end of the month, but McDonald was at 44 Eccles earlier that day, flipping a couple of hundred burgers at a BBQ hosted by the organization for its neighbours and community organizations, including Minwaashin Lodge.
Also involved with 44 Eccles were CSV Architects, represented by principal Anthony Leaning, and two unrelated Husseys: professional fundraising consultant Dan Hussey and Graeme Hussey, president of Cahdco. It specializes in creating affordable housing by providing real estate development management consulting services. He was there with his team, including the project coordinator, Cat Carkner.
Cornerstone, which has been around for 40 years, has grown from three cots in an Anglican church basement to five supportive housing residences and the city’s largest emergency shelter for women.
With the opening of 44 Eccles, the organization is now providing supportive housing to almost 160 women and gender-diverse adults.
The crowd heard from Alaina Tripp, a former resident of Cornerstone who now lives on her own and holds down a job at grocery giant Loblaws. She remains a client of the organization’s outreach services.
Tripp has spoken in the past at Cornerstone’s annual Purple Tie Gala, even joined one year by her service dog Stewart. His subsequent death left her devastated. So did the sudden disappearance of her next pooch, a puppy. This particular story ends well, thankfully. She now has a new furry friend named Milo. He missed the party to stay home and catch up on some sleep.
Tripp told everyone how much Cornerstone means to her, and to offer her gratitude to the donors for being present and “for being a part of helping each and every woman who’s about to move into [44 Eccles] live a life that has so much support, and so many people rooting for them, because some people have no people rooting for them.
“I am so glad for my cheering community squad.”
Among the donors was Judy Lincoln, who’s been a supporter of Cornerstone since she managed non-profit, fair-trade organization Ten Thousand Villages. She continues to have a great relationship with Cornerstone and its Princeton Residence through her role as executive director of the Westboro Village BIA. “They’re such a wonderful neighbour and wonderful partner for the BIA,” Lincoln told OBJ.social.
Also spotted was Alan MacDonald, senior investment advisor with RBC Wealth Management Dominion Securities. He, along with Joanne Livingston, are the long-time presenting sponsor of the Purple Tie Gala.
The gala’s popular co-host, Joseph Cull, donned attire that was more subdued than usual for a Cornerstone fundraiser (with the exception of his sparkly brooch). He volunteers on the gala committee and is also helping to organize the much-anticipated revival of Cornerstone’s garden party happening Sunday, June 9 at the residence of the Irish Ambassador. With Ottawa couturier Frank Sukhoo of Sukhoo Sukhoo Khooture once again involved, it’s sure to be fashionable, fun and festive.
caroline@obj.ca
