In 1999, the CLUE Linux Centre was opened on Eastern Avenue in Toronto's harbour district. First of its kind in the world, it was a place where user groups could hold meetings, and a permanent demoistration area allowed people to demonstrate running Linux systems to the public.

Here's how writer Gene Wilburn described it:

If you're a serious Linux user in Canada, you should be aware of the Canadian Linux Users' Exchange (CLUE). The goal of CLUE is to promote the use of Linux in Canada and to provide services to Canadian Linux users. Part of its mandate is to support the efforts of local user groups and to "coordinate events, corporate sponsorships, and publicity at a national level".

Joining a local user group (LUG) is one of the fastest ways to progress with Linux. Monthly meetings highlight technical subjects and the implicit peer support is a great way to get help with any problems you're having. And, not least, the Unix tradition is to wrap up each meeting with a trip to the nearest local pub. The CLUE website (www.linux.ca) maintains a national list of local user groups.

In addition to coordinating local user groups, CLUE has undertaken an initiative that may be the first of its kind. CLUE has started a project called "Learnux", a Linux educational outreach program. The Centre for Social Entrepreneurship is supplying CLUE with used 486 and low-end Pentium computers. CLUE members are installing Linux and a variety of educational applications, then distributing the computers to underprivileged students and educational organizations.

In conjunction with the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Starnix, CLUE has also opened the CLUE Linux Centre in Toronto. It provides a showcase, research centre, and classroom space "for all things Linux".

Here is a photo from Linux Weekly News at Comdex Canada in 1999, of a poster about the Centre.

If you have any information or stories about the CLUE Centre, we'd love to hear from you.