How Genesis Centre continues to serve its communities through a pandemic

Pride In Business Community Spotlight, in partnership with TD.
By Fraser Tripp

If Calgarians know one thing it's how to stay resilient. Whether through floods, economic downturn or even a global pandemic, individuals and businesses alike have found ways to overcome the challenges the last decade has put in front of them. The same can be said for organizations like Calgary's Genesis Centre, the recipient of the 2020 TD Inclusion & Diversity Award presented by Pride In Business at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Resilient Business Awards. Housing many businesses and organizations including 1000 Voices, the Calgary Public Library, and the Saddletowne YMCA, Genesis Centre is a not-for-profit charitable organization that operates as a community space, recreational centre and venue serving communities in the north east and beyond.

As a large recreational facility that normally hosts large-scale events and trade shows, the centre has been far from immune to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. "In a normal year, we'll get close to 2 million people using the facilities," says Jonah Ardiel, Genesis Centre's business development manager. "We were closed for over 100 days in the first lockdown and we're probably getting close to that in the second." He says the Centre is currently only open to individual household bookings meaning traffic over the last 13 months has paled in comparison. But that hasn't stopped the Centre and its staff from doing what it can to serve its communities.

"Last year, [before COVID], we received funding through the Department of Canadian Heritage, specifically the Celebrate Canada Program," says Jonah. "We applied for [a commemorative event called Multiculturalism Day which occurs on June 27 every year. We were excited to put on a big, outdoor event to recognize multiculturalism, but when COVID hit, it seemed more and more like we wouldn't be able to do that — at least not at the same scale." Like many organizations, he said the funder offered the option to host a virtual event or postpone until March, 2021. Optimistic that an in-person event might have been possible, Ardiel says they went with the former but as the deadline approached with no signs of opening up, Genesis Centre had to get creative. "We asked ourselves if we should just cut our losses and return the funding." Instead, Ardiel and the rest of the organizing team at Genesis Centre came together to brainstorm ways they could celebrate multiculturalism within the community. "We came up with this idea for world cultures in a bag," he says. "We went to local businesses and sourced items that all had some touch point with different cultures." He says the centre distributed 200 packages, one per household, that included a meal voucher from a local Lebanese restaurant, a handcrafted Mancala set, peredovik sunflower seeds, Indian chai tea and more. "We pivoted and still provided a service to the community during a time where [in-person] events are off the table."

The centre's approach to multiculturalism, as well as inclusion and diversity, is not an afterthought. "When you see the amount of foot traffic [we normally get] it's important you're welcoming and inclusive to all demographics. It's felt throughout every structure of our organization. It's embedded in policy, it's in the employee handbook." Ardiel also says this level of inclusion is felt on an aesthetic level when people enter the building, whether through physical signage like the permanent land acknowledgement at reception, details like rainbow decals posted throughout, or interactions with the centre's staff. "Any facet of what could make someone feel welcome and included, we try to address."

In 2018, Community Hubs initiative organized by the Rotary Club of Calgary, the United Way, and the City, recognized the centre along with 1000 Voices as an official Community Hub. This recognition allowed them to further their commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all through the hiring of a Commons Ambassador who acts as a sort of guide to anyone looking for a specific service. The centre also makes its facilities accessible through a bank of items which includes colour blindness glasses, weighted blankets and others that can be loaned out by visitors of the centre. Currently, the centre is home to one of the pop-up clinics vaccinating Calgarians against COVID-19.

For organizations or businesses looking at their own policies and approaches to inclusion and diversity, Ardiel recommends being open to collaboration. "Sometimes collaboration can be counterproductive, but when it's done properly, it's a strength. When you have a group of people offering different ideas and coming at things with different experiences, it gives you a holistic picture of a problem and can create some good insight to move forward."

Keep up with Genesis Centre and its partner organizations online at genesis-centre.ca or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.