On Tuesday, November 9, MPP Bill Walker returned to the newly re-opened Meaford Public Library to meet again with Library Board Chair Mike Poetker, and the Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) local Grant Review Team, Sonja Glass. In 2019, the Municipality of Meaford received a $150,000 Capital grant from OTF to help with the library’s updated and fully accessible building at 11 Sykes Street.
“It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to celebrate the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s contribution to the new Meaford Public Library. The new library in downtown Meaford is a spectacular, fully accessible facility that will serve the community for many years. Congratulations to Meaford for the successful completion of this project,” said Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker.
Funds from the grant were used to help with the building’s mechanical and electrical systems. The grant, plus an additional $900,000 raised by the community, made the upgrades and renovation possible. The Meaford Public Library is now fully accessible, with a wide range of accessible and community-minded features such as lowered stacks, large windows, and automatic doors for ease of mobility.
“This new library is an asset to our community and a very important feature to our downtown, contributing positively to the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play here,” said Rob Armstrong, Chief Administrative Officer, Municipality of Meaford.
The library’s new design also provides brighter and more spacious work spaces with more room for activities, programs, and meetings, in addition to providing a calm and peaceful space for people of all ages to discover, or re-discover, a favourite author, work on projects, do some job-searching research, and much more.
For more information about the library and the COVID-19 protocols in place to help keep everyone safe, visit the Meaford Public Library website at https://www.meaford.ca/en/explore-play/library.aspx#
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112 million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities, and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Please visit www.otf.ca for more information.
