Land Back Camp to open permanent space in downtown Kitchener

A new centre focused on year-round programming and organizing for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people is opening in downtown Kitchener.

A new centre focused on year-round programming and organizing for Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer people is opening in downtown Kitchener.

Willow River Centre is located at 243 King St., just down the street from where Land Back Camp first set up in Victoria Park, also known as Willow River Park, three years ago.

“This has always been a dream of ours to have our own building and now it’s finally happened,” Willow River Centre co-director Bangishimo said.

The three-storey building, complete with two kitchens and a courtyard, will host community events and programming, drum circles, workshops, a community garden, live music, art markets, and cultural teachings.

Organizers say it’s a continuation of the work Land Back Camp has been doing since they first set up a tipii and two tents in Victoria Park, which they call Willow River Park, on National Indigenous People’s Day in 2020.

In the years since they’ve also held space and run programming at Waterloo Park and Laurel Creek Conservation Area.

“Land Back Camp started for a number of reasons, one of them being that we kept seeing our community members struggle for gathering space,” Bangishimo said. “Community members were having to fundraise like $500 just to have a community event in a place like the pavilion.”