The Glebe Community Centre is a noted building in Ottawa, Canada, that is the symbolic heart of the Glebe neighbourhood. Construction began in 1914 and took ten years. Originally built as St. James Methodist Church, it became St. James United Church only a year after its completion when the United Church came into being in 1925. The massive Palladian style structure was designed by Clarence Burritt.
In the 1960s and 1970s church attendance declined and in 1973 St. James was merged with Glebe United Church located just two blocks to the north, creating Glebe-St. James United Church. The building was bought by the city and converted into a community centre.
In the late 1990s, the city pushed to close the structure in favour of building a new community centre in Brewer Park that would serve both the Glebe and Old Ottawa South. Both communities protested this plan and it was scrapped. Instead, extensive renovations were undertaken, which were completed in October 2004.
The Glebe Community Centre is known for the diverse programs it offers to children and youth. In summer 2005, the GCC began the Glebe Leadership Program, a youth leadership camp for 12-16 year olds. The camp is run by Tim Lamothe, former Student Council President of Glebe Collegiate Institute, and has been praised for its unique approach to teaching leadership to young teens.
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