Today, Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, announced $5.4 million in federal funding for the construction of a new library in Pelham.
"Investing in community and recreational infrastructure is essential to creating communities that are welcoming, inclusive, and sustainable. Today's announcement for the new Pelham library will ensure that all residents have access to a modern facility where they can safely connect and learn for many years to come," said Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
"The Government of Canada is committed to building a greener and healthier future for Canadians across the country. Projects like this one help create exciting opportunities for residents while helping us achieve our goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050," said Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines.
"This announcement is a great example of what government can do, working in partnership. With generous federal support, the Town of Pelham will now be able to replace a facility that while beautiful, has aged badly. The community can look forward to high quality library programming and materials in a comfortable, convenient environment at the MCC. I think of this as the cherry on top of the sundae that is the MCC. A great day for Pelham," said His Worship Marvin Junkin, Mayor of the Town of Pelham.
Funding will support the construction of a new 18,000 square foot zero-carbon library located near the town's existing community centre. The new three-story facility will include accessibility features and green energy and climate resiliency components, such as solar panels, glazing, and abundant natural lighting.
Once complete, the new library will serve as a community hub where residents can come together and learn.
