Ch. 01 — Mission
A safe space to meet, and be heard.
Transmissions Niagara is a peer support group for trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit, and intersex people in the Niagara Region. We meet in Downtown St. Catharines.
We are peers, not professionals. There is no cost, no referral, and no requirement to speak. You can come and just listen.
The time and place are public so you know what to expect — but the group itself is closed. Everyone registers before their first meeting, and your details never leave the group admin.
Ch. 02 — When & where
When & where
we meet
Where
Fine Grind Café
37 James St
Downtown St. Catharines
Time
6:30 – 8:00pm
Third Wednesday
of the month
Upcoming dates
Registration is still required. Knowing where and when we meet is not the same as being signed up — please register before your first meeting so we know to expect you.
Ch. 03 — What this is
What peer support
is & isn't
Peer support means people with shared lived experience showing up for each other. The whole idea rests on one line: you are only an expert in your own lived experience, and not in somebody else's.
What it is
- People with shared experience, in a room together
- Listening without fixing, ranking, or correcting
- Sharing what worked for you — offered, never prescribed
- Company, on the days that need company
- A place to be called your name and your pronouns
What it isn't
- Therapy, counselling, or clinical care
- Medical, legal, or financial advice
- Crisis intervention or emergency service
- A place where anyone speaks for anyone else
- Run by professionals — we are peers
If you need help right now In an emergency call 9-1-1. Otherwise, there are crisis and support lines on our resources page — most are free and open 24 hours. We are a peer support group, and we are not equipped to respond to emergencies.
Ch. 04 — Core values
Five things we
hold onto
-
01
Consent
Active, informed, enthusiastic, ongoing, and between peers.
-
02
Mindfulness
Attention to the room, to each other, and to how we say things.
-
03
Non-judgement
A person's choices are their own. We rarely see every factor behind them.
-
04
Harm reduction
Health and wellness met where people actually are, not where they ought to be.
-
05
Empowerment
You are the authority on your own life. We're here to back you in it.
Ch. 05 — Community agreements
How we agree
to be together
These are published in full, before you register, so you know exactly what you're walking into. Everyone who attends is agreeing to them.
-
Registration keeps the room safe
Our meeting time and place are public so you know what to expect, but the group itself is closed — everyone registers before their first meeting.
- We ask for two things: a name, which doesn't have to be a legal name, and an email address, which is how we confirm your place.
- None of your contact information is shared with anyone outside the group admin.
- You may choose to share your contact details with other members — or not — entirely as you see fit.
-
We don't presume names, pronouns, or gender
We also recognise that these can change over time, and that's expected.
- Everyone is asked to share and display their name and pronouns at the meeting, and we each make our best attempt to observe them.
- Mistakes happen — especially with people new to our community, and because identifiers change.
- People who cannot observe someone's identifiers may be asked to return to the group at a later time.
-
Nothing about us without us
- What is said in the group stays in the group.
-
Consent is active, informed, enthusiastic and ongoing
- We all opt in to this group, rather than not opting out — to whatever degree is comfortable for you.
-
We listen and support in non-judgement
- A person's choices are their own.
- We recognise that we do not see all the factors affecting someone's decision on a matter.
- If someone asks for advice, it's understood that the advice may be discarded as they see fit. We gain value and insight from our good choices as well as our bad ones.
-
Headlines, not the details
- Some discussions may be triggering, so stay mindful and use your best judgement on phrasing.
- If you need to leave the room, give a thumbs up if you're OK. Otherwise the presumption is that you are not, and someone will be sent to be with you.
-
Friendships are encouraged, but not required
- This group matters to the wider community. If a friendship between two members gets rocky for a while, please leave it at the door when you arrive.
-
We support the best available science
We are not doctors — but at the same time, many doctors are not the resource they should be. Medical discussion is allowed, with limits:
- Qualified medical advice from Rainbow Health Ontario or a similar centre of excellence overrides in every instance.
- As in any other area of medicine, seek a consult or second opinion if you feel you aren't getting an acceptable level of care.
- Please keep unsupported science, misinformation, and conspiracy theories out of the group.
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This is a low-stimulus zone
- Some members are sensitive to smells, loud noises, bright lights, and sudden movement.
- Please don't smoke immediately before or during the meeting, avoid perfumes and scented products, and be mindful of your volume and movement while you're with us.
-
We look after each other's wellness
- Everyone here is expected to preserve the wellness of the others to the best of their ability.
- If you're sick, please hold off on attending until you're feeling better.
Where we draw the line
These will end your time in the group:
- Hateful language
- Aggressive or threatening behaviour
- Refusing to respect people's names, pronouns, and perspectives
Ch. 06 — Before you arrive
The practical bits
Come scent-free
Skip perfume, cologne, and scented products, and don't smoke right before you come in.
Keep it low
Soft voices, easy movement, no bright or flashing anything. Some of us are sensitive to it.
Stay home if you're sick
We'd much rather see you next time than have you tough it out.
You can just listen
There is no obligation to share anything. Sitting quietly is a completely normal way to attend.
Your name & pronouns
You'll be asked to share and display them. Yours can change between meetings — that's fine, just tell us.
Stepping out is fine
Leave the room whenever you need. Thumbs up on the way out means you're OK on your own.
Ch. 07 — Register
Come sit
with us
Registration is how we keep the room closed and the people in it safe. It takes a minute.
- Spaces are limited. Each meeting is first come, first served, counted from when your registration reaches us however you send it. Sign-ups open 30 days before each date.
- We'll email you either way — to confirm your spot, or to let you know you're on the waiting list for that date.
- Your name doesn't have to be a legal name. Use whatever you want to be called in the room.
- Nothing is shared outside the group admin. Ever.
Would rather not use a form? That's completely fine — email us and we'll register you that way instead. Either way, we go in the order registrations arrive — the form doesn't jump the queue.