Authorization to Release Section 37 Funds for the Heliconian Club - by Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Jamaal Myers

The Hall is a valued, welcoming space for creative women in the literary world and in other artistic disciplines. It was built in 1876 when Yorkville was a rural village on Toronto's outskirts. First a church, then headquarters of a painters' union, the building became the Heliconian Hall in 1923. The building is an excellent example of the rare Carpenter's Gothic architectural style, with a simple board and batten exterior, Victorian rose window, and carved rafters in a high vaulted ceiling. The Heliconian Hall is one of the few buildings of this style remaining in southern Ontario. It was designated a Toronto historic site in 1990 and a National Historic Site in 2008; a plaque was erected outside the building in 2011. Its beautiful acoustics continue to make it one of Toronto's most cherished small concert halls, regularly used as a performance venue and art gallery. After 150 years, the carved wood details of the Hall require repairs.

2. City Council direct that the $30,000 be forwarded to the Heliconian Club upon signing of an undertaking by the Heliconian Club that governs the use of the funds and the financial reporting requirements.