A recently announced provincial investment for several tourism and culture organizations comes with mixed reactions.
The Ontario government highlighted a $600,000 investment for organizations within Lambton-Kent-Middlesex on July 23, through Community Museum Operating Grants, Public Library Operating Grants, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
"Ontario is helping communities support short and long-term recovery planning amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic," read a release from the province. "By continuing to work with the tourism and culture sectors, we will ensure that as communities gradually reopen."
One of the funding investments listed was $52,400 for a local summer camp. Lambton Centre Executive Director Rick Boerkamp said they received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
"We've increased air circulation in our cabins by replacing two windows in each cabin and putting an exhaust air ventilation system in. We've purchased portable hand washing stations," he said. "We replaced our drinking fountain with a water bottle refill station and we're building a 20 by 30 foot picnic pavilion."
Construction of the pavilion is currently underway. Boerkamp also said this will allow for more meals to be had outdoors as opposed to indoors.
Boerkamp said the centre usually receives small community grants so the amount recently dispersed by the Trillium Foundation is a lot more than they typically see.
"I think this responds more to the community needs and provides a safer environment for campers and anybody that uses our facilities," he said.
Other local investments include $47,868 to the Lambton Heritage Museum and $17,998 to the Walpole Island First Nation Public Library. However, both organizations told Blackburn News that the funding isn't necessarily 'new'. The organizations receive a similar amount each year.
"This is consistent with what we've received in previous years," said Dana Thorne, curator and supervisor of Lambton Heritage Museum.
"We're absolutely grateful that the province supports us through the funding this way but it's not new funding or to support any new activities at the museum. It's funding that we rely on for our regular operating budget."
As museums and libraries begin to operate with regular hours and allow doors to open to the public again, Thorne said more funding would be nice.
"The Ontario Museum Association has been advocating for more provincial funding for museums to support all the things we do for the community and safeguarding our local history as well," she said.
Other funding recipients listed during Friday's announcement can be found below.
- $150,000.00 to the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
- $95,300.00 to the Walpole Island Land Trust
- $58,100.00 to the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 219 Reg Lovell Branch
- $50,000.00 to the Forest Fair Board
- $45,800.00 to the Kee-mo-kee Campsite of the United Church of Canada
- $25,900 to the Westover Treatment Centre
- $15,611 to the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation Public Library
- $15,538 to the Wallaceburg and District Museum
- $14,238 to the Strathroy Middlesex Museum
- $10,000 to the Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Centre Inc.
- $5,900 to Walpole Island First Nation
- $1,545 to the Komoka Railway Museum.