In 2022, the municipality of East Ferris received $229,000 in grants from the province’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). On Friday, July 5, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli stopped by Astorville to see how the money helped the community.
Fedeli thanked the Municipality for remaining “vigilant” with their OTF applications. “Due to their hard work,” Fedeli noted, “the community will have the opportunity to enjoy both the renovations made to the East Ferris library and the creation of the 14-kilometre recreational trail,” Fedeli said.
Some of the money came from a $79,000 Resilient Communities Fund, which went toward the library. A janitorial space was created, a portable air filtration system was purchased, and a large shed was built on the property for some much-needed storage.
The shed makes for more room in the library and allows more people to take part in programs. “We pride ourselves on providing safe and equitable access for our diverse community,” said the library’s CEO, Jennifer Laporte. “Increasing capacity limits has allowed our programs to expand and excel.”
See: It doesn’t stop with the shed, the East Ferris library improvements continue
The other $150,000 went toward creating a new 14-kilometre trail for walking, running, and cycling.
“The $150,000 grant from the Ontario government is of great significance to our community,” said Mayor Rochefort. “Our new active transportation trail will provide recreational enthusiasts with a connection from MacPherson Drive Boat Launch to the Corbeil Recreation Hub.”
Councillor Rick Champagne emphasized the importance of the grants, as without OTF support, “many projects would not advance” within the municipality. “Funding partnerships ensure that we can build new infrastructure and deliver on the programs and services that residents expect of their municipality.”
See: East Ferris will get $150,000 to add 14 km of trails
Councillor Champagne detailed how in 1998, “after a lot of hard work by volunteers,” the province granted East Ferris $100,000 through Heritage Ontario to help build the library. The premier at the time, Mike Harris, attended the official opening, and the library’s resource room was named in honour of the late Reeve Claude Guillemette, “who strongly supported the library’s development,” Champagne added.
Champagne also emphasized the importance of the Library Board members, Board Chair Joyce Effinger, Council representative Deputy Mayor Lauren Rooyakkers, and members Christine Joly, Lisa Dupuis, and Donna St-Martin. He also recognized and congratulated “the wonderful staff led by CEO Jennifer Laporte.”
Last year, the OTF invested more than $100 million into 1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships, Fedeli noted, adding “our government is proud to make investments that improve the quality of life for our local citizens.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
