Community-based projects in Kentville, Nova Scotia and St. Catharines, Ontario have won the National Heritage Trust of Canada’s 2016 This Place Matters Competition.
Both communities will receive $40,000 to implement projects to improve the vitality of their main street.
St. Catharines’ Save Lock One campaign, which aims to revitalize Port Dalhousie, won in the competition’s City Beacon stream. This project focuses on the area around Port One of the Second Welland Canal, instrumental in opening the Great Lakes. With their $40,000 prize and $37,227 in crowdfunding donations, the group will revitalize the area allowing for public access and gathering space, a statue to commemorate the thousands of tow horses used to haul ships through the canal, and historical interpretive signage.
In the Town Spotlight stream, Kentville, Nova Scotia’s Renewed & Rewritten: The Story of the Kentville Library, won the honour. This project will create a vibrant public space and children’s library for the local community in the home of an abandoned United Church on Main Street. While the main sanctuary of the church is under renovation, the entire library has been placed in a small, former Sunday School room. The $40,000 prize, and $59,300 in crowdfunding funds will be used to create a children’s area for both parents and children to enjoy. The library will construct a modern community-focused space.
“We are thrilled with the outpouring of support from the public, with over 296,007 votes cast and $262,968 raised for 14 deserving communities,” said Natalie Bull, executive director of the National Trust for Canada. “We watched these participating project teams demonstrate creativity and dedication throughout the competition. We can’t wait to see these exciting community projects come to life. ”
The goal of the National Trust’s 2016 This Place Matters competition was to fuel local projects that bring together community partners and community members, especially youth, to improve the vitality of Canada’s main streets. Communities all across Canada participated, from Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador to Lethbridge, Alberta and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Photo Port Dalhousie Lighthouse
