On November 21, 2025, Halifax Regional Municipality staff notified Turret Arts Space Society that Turret’s funding request, as presented to Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee (CPED) on March 20, 2025, was considered by Halifax Regional Council at its in-camera session on November 18, 2025, and was denied in full. On November 26, 2025, HRM legal counsel notified Turret of the municipality's intent to repurchase 1588 Barrington Street for one dollar.
“The building is historically significant on a regional and national scale for gay, lesbian, and queer history,” says Emerald “Ezzie” Gibson, Turret Arts Space Society Board member, and former member of GAE and owner of Alternate Bookstore, “For example, 1588 Barrington Street was the site of the first Atlantic Gay Conference for Lesbians and Gay Men in 1977, which drew attendees from across Canada and Maine.”
The Turret was Halifax's much beloved community-owned bar from 1976 to 1982. Its page in the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia is here.
Here's the announcement of The Turret Arts Space's plans for the building last year.
These actions mark a significant and unexpected departure from a decade of collaborative planning between Turret and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The Turret Arts Society calls on HRM to release the confidential staff report, to halt the buy-back of 1588 Barrington Street, and to support the Turret Arts Space redevelopment and stewardship of the Queer heritage of 1588 Barrington Street.
HRM should capitalize on the chance to invest in the cultural and economic revitalization opportunity expertly laid out in Turret’s 2024 Impact Strategy Report
“As we watch more businesses shutter on Barrington Street, HRM should capitalize on the chance to invest in the cultural and economic revitalization opportunity expertly laid out in Turret’s 2024 Impact Strategy Report,” says Alexis Cormier, Turret Redevelopment Project Manager, “The move to end Turret’s ownership and stewardship of the building disregards the desperate need for cultural venues, which has been cited in HRM’s own reports, and by Downtown Halifax Business Commission and Discover Halifax.”
Currently, The Turret Arts Space is waiting to hear the results of a multi-million dollar application to Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada, through the Green and Inclusive Community Building Fund. Member of Parliament for Halifax, Shannon Miedema, issued a public letter of support for the federal funding request on October 7, 2025
“For 11 years, Turret has developed this project in close dialogue with the municipality,” says Sobaz Benjamin, Turret Arts Space Society President. “HRM’s abrupt reversal on a project of this cultural magnitude is deeply disappointing and raises pressing questions about the municipality’s commitments to its own cultural development priorities.” “HRM’s decision and confidential staff report undermine the years of transparent, community-driven work by the Turret volunteers,” says Emily Davidson, Turret Arts Space
Society Board member, “Community members put tens of thousands of volunteer hours to create a landmark public space—to learn, after the fact, that such a consequential decision was made behind closed doors is profoundly concerning for civic accountability. It also places our Anchor Tenant Partners—The Khyber Centre for the Arts and Leave Out Violence Nova Scotia—in an extremely difficult position."
“The Queer history and arts legacy of 1588 Barrington Street is site-specific and irreplaceable,” says Brit Fox, Turret Arts Space Society Vice President, “The building is at the heart of our plans to publicly interpret and celebrate the legacy of the Gay Alliance
for Equality and the Turret Club, including making 1588 Barrington the first designated Queer Heritage site in Canada.”
