$76,600 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Gives Community Centre a Lift

Essex, ON – On Wednesday, December 21^st, 2022, local MPP Anthony Leardi met with the team at the Town of Essex to hear more about the $76,600 Community Building Fund – Capital stream grant received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that is being used to install new basketball nets, the installation of a retractable room divider, and replacement of the windows. The project is scheduled for competition in March 2023 and will give people in the community improved access to programs and events at the Maedel Community Centre for years to come.

"This generous grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will serve the people of Essex well. The Maedel Community Centre provides residents with excellent recreational services, and in keeping with the work of Edward Charles Maedel, keeps the community strong and connected,” said Anthony Leardi, MPP for Essex. “This grant is essential for providing residents with great services and building up the Community Centre. I appreciate the work that goes on at the Maedel Community Centre, and I thank the OTF for recognizing that it is an essential part of our community."

In addition to the installation the windows and upgrades to the building envelope, the grant has provided funding to replace basketball nets and add a divider to split two rooms for better functionality. The Centre is used by a variety of users for celebrations, programming and fundraisers. The upgrades made possible by the OTF grant will ensure the Centre is a safe and fun space for community members.

"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Sherry Bondy, Mayor for the Town of Essex. “This grant has allowed needed renovations to be made as we are concerned with climate change and want to ensure we do our part to provide taxpayers with more efficient facilities. We also want to congratulate the Ontario Trillium Foundation on 40 years of granting and building healthy and vibrant communities across the province.”

The Maedel Community Centre is committed to preserving this space and ensuring that it remains energy efficient while providing exceptional activities throughout the year. If you wish to enquire about using the space programming, parties, or fundraisers, please visit the website at: www.essex.ca.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.