Hagersville Library + Active Living Centre fund-raising campaign heads into homestretch
After more than two years of public engagement and design consultation, the Hagersville Library + Active Living Centre (HL+ALC) project is just months away from breaking ground, and the local Fund-Raising Committee supporting the construction of the new centre is launching the final push to meet its $2 million fund-raising goal.
“We are excited to be this close to making the new facility a reality for residents and visitors to our town,” says Committee Chair Tony Dalimonte, the former ward Councillor who initiated discussions with County staff in 2019 to realize the vision of multi-functional library, recreation and community facility in Grant Kett Park. “We know it will take about 18 months to complete the build, but putting a shovel in the ground gets us one step closer.”
“Hagersville is the second-fastest-growing community in Haldimand and needed an accessible, integrated building like this for library services, recreation and community socialization,” says Mike Evers, the General Manager of Community & Development Services. “From the beginning, this project has been an amazing collaboration with community members and groups working with Haldimand County staff—and now the design team at CGS Architects Inc.—to create a made-in-Hagersville and Haldimand facility.”
In June 2023, Council approved an additional $4.6 million in County funding towards the construction of the HL+ALC. This was in response to community feedback which included increasing the size and functionality of programming areas and the rapidly-rising construction costs since the original project budget was developed prior to the pandemic.
To date, the Fund-Raising Committee has raised more than $1.5 million dollars towards the construction of the facility, mostly through major community and corporate donations.
“The Committee has set an ambitious goal of raising another $500,000 through the community, which will be used specifically for technology and other design and program delivery enhancements that will elevate the uses and functionality of the facility,” explains Dalimonte. “This will be Hagersville’s community hub—for all ages and abilities—and we hope everyone will want to be part of making this facility a success and contribute any way they can, including using it for their recreation, leisure, wellness, educational, family and other activities and get-togethers.”
“We know how generous our community is,” adds Fund-Raising Committee member Rob Phillips, “and how it supports its local groups and services. We’ve seen that most recently with the Catch the Ace lottery and the many other important community initiatives that are supported by local residents and businesses. This is a facility designed for our community, and we hope residents from Hagersville and our surrounding towns will become part of building and supporting it for decades to come.”
For more information about contributing to the Hagersville Library + Active Living Centre, contact Fund-Raising Committee Chair Tony Dalimonte at 905-768-1260.
Details about the latest design are also available to view on the project web page at https://www.haldimandcounty.ca/hagersvillealc/.