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Simcoe-Grey MP Helena Guergis brought good news to Essa township with the announcement of grant from governments on both the federal and provincial level. A total of $11,562,042 from the federal government will be matched by other levels of government and will be going to Simcoe-Grey infrastructure projects. $786,000 is going toward the a new Angus branch of the Essa Public Library. Above, Essa Public Library CEO Janine Harris-Wheatley, Essa Deputy Mayor Terry Dowdall, Essa Coun. Sandie MacDonald, members of the library committee and employees, gather in front of the Angus library during the announcement.

Major funding announced for new Angus Library

BY Brian Lockhart: Special June 19, 2009 19:06

The plan to build a new library in Angus made a giant leap forward with the announcement that a combined grant of $786,000 will go toward the Essa Public library building fund for the new branch.

Member of Parliament for Simcoe Grey Helena Guergis made the announcement last Friday during a visit to the existing Angus library.

The funds are part of the federal and provincial government package designed to stimulate the economy through infrastructure spending. In total, Ontario will receive $3.9 billion in joint federal and provincial funding. Of that, Simcoe-Grey is getting $11,562,042 in federal grants to be matched by the other levels of government.

"It's important to know that this is the result of the federal and provincial governments working together," Guergis said. "Simcoe County did really well overall."

She stressed the fact that the senior level of government turned to local municipalities to determine where the money should be allocated.

"The government relied on mayors and councils to determine where the money should go," she said.

Guergis, who grew up in Angus, said she remembers coming to the Angus library as a child and over the years the branch has simply outgrown its building.

For Essa Ward 1 Coun. Sandie MacDonald and Essa Public Library CEO Janine Harris-Wheatley, the news of the grant is in part, the fulfillment of a lot of hard work. Both women have worked tirelessly over several years on the new library project.

"This is a dream come true for Essa Township," MacDonald said. "I don't think there is anything as important as the library for everybody, from our youth up to our senior citizens."

MacDonald is also the chair of the fundraising committee for the new library. The committee's goal is to raise $400,000.

"We are over halfway there," she said of the committee's work so far. "It will cost over $2 million for the new library. We have a very generous community. We all benefit from this."

The additional funds announced will push the start button on the new project.

"It's definitely a go," MacDonald said.

The grant was received on a $2.5-million estimate of construction of the new building.

Harris-Wheatley said the present building is too small for modern times and lack of space prevents the addition of new books and resources.

"It's a lovely library," she said. "But we've just outgrown it. Between 2004 and 2008 our use has tripled."

The recent economic downturn has even further stretched library capacity with more and more people coming in to use the internet and other resources as part of their job-finding efforts.

"We had 22 letters of support that went in with the grant application," explained Harris-Wheatley. Letters of support came from local business, community leaders, and organizations.

Construction of the new library is already in the planning stages, however a location has not yet been announced.

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