Project Summary
In 2021, as part of the County’s planned replacement of the Hagersville Public Library—and in recognition of the need for more accessible public spaces, given the County’s considerable planned growth—Council approved an initiative in the Tax-Supported Capital Budget to construct a co-located Library and Active Living Centre in Hagersville. As part of this approval, the staff were authorized to initiate a community capital fund-raising campaign and proceed with community consultations and associated activities to support the construction of this new multi-purpose facility.
Hagersville has been identified as the second-fastest-growing urban community in Haldimand County and has a shortage of accessible public buildings for recreation, leisure and community socialization.
The town’s 100+-year-old Hagersville Community Centre had considerable challenges in terms of accessibility and functionality. Operated most recently by the Hagersville Chamber of Commerce, the Community Centre was sold in 2022, with proceeds donated to the new Hagersville Library + Active Living Centre (HL+ALC). The existing Hagersville Public Library, while enjoyed by residents since 1945, is limited in terms of accessibility, programming, services and parking.
The new, integrated HL+ALC will be located in Hagersville’s Grant Kett Park, a large, downtown green space which already includes the Arena, three ball diamonds, a concession building, playground and a natural amphitheatre used for community events.
Community consultation took place over three years (2021-2023) and community fund-raising has been ongoing since 2021. To date, the Community Fund-Raising Committee—which has a $2 million goal—has secured more than $1.7 million in donations. If you are interested in supporting the project, please contact the Committee at 905-768-1260.
In February 2023, the design contract for the project was awarded to the firm of Curran, Gacesa, Slote Architects Inc. (CGS), which undertook additional community consultation and stakeholder engagement in spring 2023. Since then, CGS has been developing the detailed design and engineering plans, with an anticipated construction start date of summer 2024.
