GNAG survives one very difficult year

Mary Tsai
GNAG Executive Director

March 13 marked the one-year anniversary of the day we closed the doors at GNAG due to COVID-19. Operating through a pandemic has been a humbling and frightening experience with more sleepless nights than I care to count.

For close to three decades, I have watched GNAG grow and watched your children grow, some returning with kids of their own. Yet I found myself lying awake at night, wondering if GNAG would survive – the same fears as so many of you have about your own jobs and businesses.

With vaccines rolling out and continued financial support from the federal government, we do see light at the end of the tunnel. While we are not yet out of the woods, our return to normal is looking positive for the near future.

The survival of GNAG would not have been possible without our dedicated, creative and resilient staff. Our team has been put to the test and has done a remarkable job in creating imaginative programs to keep our community healthy, entertained and connected.

I am indebted to our board of directors who have also volunteered countless hours, calmly ensuring our team stays strong and united. My thanks as well to past boards for steering our growth and ensuring that we squirrelled away enough money to survive unknown risks.

Most of all, thanks to our loyal clients for staying with us throughout this difficult year. You have all been extremely supportive and patient as we work through safety protocols, sudden shutdowns and fear. You are why we gladly publish two to three program guides each season rather than the usual four a year. You keep us inspired so we can inspire you.

To all of you, I express my heartfelt gratitude.

April Break & Summer Camp

Registration for Spring Term 1, April Break (previously March Break) Camps and Summer Camps has just opened.You can see all our offerings at GNAG.ca. We cannot wait to see you online or in-person.

Adult Online Trivia Night 
Fundraiser– a big success!

On February 26, more than 250 trivia enthusiasts on 31 teams took part in GNAG’s first-ever online Adult Trivia Night. In typical GNAG fashion, we were able to bring friends and neighbours together for a fun night.

The evening ended in a nail-biting showdown between the “Ladies from the 80s” and the “Quizly Bears” with the question: “How many times does the word love appear in the complete works of Shakespeare?” Team Quizly Bears won the Neighbourhood Exceptional Reasoning Distinction (NERD) Award!

Many thanks to all the organizers, especially Mike D’Abramo of CustomTrivia.com who came up with all the questions. Dinner and evening snacks were coordinated and catered by Glebe resident Derick Cotnam, owner of My Catering Group. A special thank you to our hilarious quiz masters, John Muggleton and Geoff Kellow.

Can you name the top three highest-grossing, R-rated films of all time? How about naming two South American nations that share the region of Patagonia? If you answered Joker, Deadpool and The Matrix Reloaded for the first question and Chile and Argentina for the second, you may have a shot at being the NERD winner at GNAG’s second Adult Trivia night on Friday, April 23 at 8:15 p.m.

By the way, the answer to the Shakespeare question: 2,191 times, based on the 1864 Globe edition.

GNAG Arts is back!

In the past, GNAG transformed the Glebe Community Centre atrium and board room into a gallery space for emerging artists to exhibit and sell their works. This year, with the building only open to registered participants, GNAG has created an alternative online space to keep the show going. This virtual art show and sale allows artists in any media to exhibit and sell their works through our website. The entire selling price goes directly to the artist. The online show will run from April 15 to June 15. Submissions will be accepted from March 15 to 31. Cost is $5 a person. More information is available at GNAG.ca

GNAG’s online channel

Online classes have become a popular venue for GNAG programming, and we see that continuing long into the future. We have become quite proficient during the past year with online offerings, and we are now ready to take it to the next step. We will be introducing a video channel on our website, so you will be able to stream workshops, wellness videos, teasers and more.  It’s another way to get to know GNAG and all we have to offer.