TAKE BACK THE TURRET
Pledge to the Turret
Take Back the Turret is a community coalition-led campaign to stop Halifax Regional Municipality from repurchasing 1588 Barrington Street from Turret Arts Space Society.
In November 2025, Halifax Regional Council voted to repurchase 1588 Barrington Street from Turret Arts Space Society, declare the property surplus, and initiate a disposal strategy for the property. The report by HRM Staff on which Council made its decision seriously misrepresents the competency and viability of the Turret Arts Space redevelopment plan. The plan had been well underway since 2022, and had achieved $950,000 in financial support from all three levels of government, when HRM abruptly reversed its previous support with a Council decision to deny the project funding for the next phase of redevelopment, repurchase the building, declare the property surplus, and then dispose of it. Council’s decision was met by community outrage, in particular, many in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are deeply alarmed at Council’s cavalier treatment of a site with profound historical meaning for Queer and Trans+ people, both locally and nationally. HRM has acted in bad faith, issuing reports on the need for arts venues and 2SLGBTQIA+ heritage co-creation with no mechanisms to support their own recommendations, all while cutting arts funding and attacking community-led development.
It’s time for real community ownership of 1588 Barrington Street
Although HRM “sold” the building to Turret Arts Space in November 2018, the “strings attached” mean that HRM may, at its discretion, buy back the building for the original below market sale rate of one dollar. This means that for the last seven years, Turret Arts Space has been burdened by the risks and costs of building ownership without having access to its own property equity, which is a standard process of leveraging property value for the redevelopment of an organization-owned building. It’s time for HRM to stop blocking the successful redevelopment of 1588 Barrington Street.
Your pledge builds community power
HRM is poised to repurchase 1588 Barrington Street, declare the building surplus, and dispose of it (likely resulting in a sale to the private developer) unless we build enough community power to sway Council to stop repurchasing it from Turret Arts Space. Every dollar pledged, letter written, and phone call made builds leverage to keep 1588 Barrington Street in community hands. The Turret is vital and HRM has proved they won’t protect it.
Stop HRM from destroying Queer history and futures
The Fine Print: Pledge donations are automatically charged to the method of payment entered and held in trust by Turret Arts Space Society during the campaign period. Donations (minus Squarespace processing fees) will be returned to donors in the event that Halifax Regional Municipality repurchases, expropriates, or otherwise regains ownership of 1588 Barrington Street, Halifax. If the campaign is a success, donations will be converted to irrevocable, tax-receipted donations to Turret Arts Space Society and donors will be sent a charitable tax receipt to the email provided at the time of the pledge.
Community coalition
Take Back the Turret is a growing coalition of 2SLGBTQIA+ and arts organizations including AfterWords Literary Festival, Bus Stop Theatre Co-op, Carbon Arc Independent Cinema, CUPE 3912, Elderberries of Atlantic Canada, EVERYSEEKER, Halifax Fringe, HEIST, King’s Co-op Bookstore, Khyber Centre for the Arts, IOTA Institute, LOVE Nova Scotia, Live Art Dance, Mocean Dance, Nectar Collective, Page1 Theatre, Rumours Lounge & Cabaret, Stardust Bar + Kitchen, Skin Decision, Theatre Nova Scotia, The Villains Theatre, Wayves Magazine, and The Youth Project. The campaign is supported by the following local businesses: Allstar Vacuum, Bird’s Nest Café + Catering, Black Market Boutique, Blue Collar Barbershop, Cafe Goodluck, Elsie’s Clothing, Fauna Sugaring, Highlander Med Spa and Salon, Java Blend, Jellies Bar, King’s Co-op Bookstore, The Loot, Outlaw Country Tattoo, Osprey’s Roost Butchery & Provisions, Propellor Brewing Company, Skin Decision, Sully + Porter Café, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, Venus Envy, Verve Fine Craft Gallery, World Tea House.
Solidarity against the cuts
The struggle to build accessible arts space and honour Queer heritage is part of the broader struggle to build safer and more generative communities. The 2026-27 Nova Scotia budget titled “Defending Nova Scotia” does’t just propose cut the arts, it plans to cut deeply into the lifeforce of our province. Targeted cuts to social services and cultural activities will slash the programs that keep thousands of us safer, fed, housed, healthier, trained, and engaged. Take Back the Turret is in solidarity against the cuts to L'nu-specific programs, African Nova Scotian programs, youth programs, mental health supports, disability services, education, and food security services.