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Envisioning Questions for Community Members
Theresa Harding
 Personal Connection
- What does the center need to be in your opinion. what are your personal needs in this community? This could be practice needs. Social needs. Intellectual needs. Shambhala arts?
I would like the shambhala center to be a physical space that reflects the elegance of shambhala society. When I bring people to the center I feel I have to make excuses for the building. The space cannot accommodate larger programs and the people we have coming already. As well it would be good to have more social space so that the community could be accommodated. Young families need to be able to use the space or feel accommodated in the space.
Vision for the Centre
- What do we do well at our center? Courses, med. Instruction, etc
Open house is well run. We are good at making new people feel welcome. We allow people to find a place for their skills EX. awake in action, yoga, sparks of sanity. Over the years we have adapted to our needs and pulled the ship thru the stormy seas that we have experienced. We have been able to put aside personal stuff in order to realize the bigger picture.
- What do we not do well at our center?
Our container is good at practice and study but is not so good as a social container. We need a more social flavor in our community and this will be aided by having a better and bigger space to allow this sort of expansion. It seems to me that the center is more for function. We are more a group of volunteers for classes courses and practice sessions and we may or may not interact with people. Our interactions are brief purposfull and then we go home.
- What is our responsibility to the greater Vancouver Community?
To practice, study and outreach and to be decent human beings.
Physical Space
- How big a center? Imagine how many rooms and what they will be used
for?
Our kitchen should be able to cook for a hundred people and have industrial equipment., approx. 4 x as big as current. Shrine room would be 3x the size that it is now. There could be the ability to partition the space. We require at least 3 classrooms so that 3 things could be happening simultaneously. A library. A dharma art room for Ikebana, stroke, etc. 4 Offices for interviews, director, etc. Vajrayana shrine room twice as big as current small shrine room. A space for the children. Wheel chair access. Community room that is 1.5 x bigger than current.
- What are our non-negotiables that we must have as far as space is
concerned?
We need to be bigger and we need to have more rooms. The number of rooms is non-negotiable so the size is what will have to be cut back.
- Do you see us having storefront, second floor, both?
I see it as 4 stories that generates revenue. The ground floor is commercial, a coffee shop as well as a store front that entices people in. We could rent to community small business’s. Second floor would be shrine room and classes. Third floor would have other rooms as well as a suite for visiting teachers and the Sakyong when he comes. The top floor would be rentable apartments. A rooftop deck would be useful.
Marpole area has good access. East Vancouver and Burnaby. Fairview slopes
- Transportation Considerations
Must have good access and definitely on a transit route. For generating income in our coffee shop we will need to be in a pedestrian area.
- Safety of neighborhood & Feeling of neighborhood?
A neighborhood that people feel safe walking to and from.
- What about our Curriculum & Courses. Are we lacking in an area(s)?
We are ok here.
Moving Forward
- How do we make decisions about moving? In other words there will be many decisions to be made in this process, How do we go about our decision-making?
We need a steering committee that is not the council and some key sub committees represented on the steering committee. Steering committee would closely work with council. There would also be a sub committee studying what has been done before and not have to re-invent the wheel and then we can decide what works for us. Also a committee for communications so we keep people aware of what is going onand communicate the status of each of the groups. A chair person.
- Should we buy, build or rent? Why?
We need to buy our own building. Ideally we would move form current space into our own building. Lease and/or rent is option 2. By staying in current space and fundraising we take advantage of the low rent we currently are paying.
- How would you like to be involved in this relocation process?
Could help in the design of the process and the planning of this new building project.
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