A former convenience store in downtown Victoria has been transformed into the city’s first Black arts and culture community centre, creating a new gathering place designed to promote inclusion, education and cultural expression. The Black and Here Community Centre, located at the intersection of Johnson and Douglas streets, is the result of a partnership between the B.C. Black History Awareness Society and REP Here in Canada, a non profit organisation that supports newcomers. Black History Awareness Society. “This is something we need here, and it’s a community centre, it’s not just for Blacks, it’s for the whole community, so I think that’s a blessing.”