The Hillsburgh library will be relocating from its current leased space on Trafalgar Road to a new property on Station Street next to the mill pond.
In an announcement on Oct. 15, Minto Mayor and county Warden George Bridge said Wellington County has purchased an 1892 farmhouse along with the adjacent property and pond.
“We are able to find a new location for the library and through a lot of hard work and a lot of people working at this, we’re able to pick up a really beautiful old heritage house, 1892, and this beautiful lot you have behind me,” said Bridge.
“I think with these two properties together we really develop a real hub of culture and activities for the town of Hillsburgh and the overall Town of Erin,” he added.
Erin Mayor Allan Alls also expressed excitement about the new location.
“I think this will be a very, very exciting spot for a new library. It will bring some focus to the town of Erin and the village of Hillsburgh,” he said.
County councillor Pierre Brianceau and Wellington County chief librarian Murray McCabe were also in attendance.
“It is my belief that this is the best choice for updating the last Wellington County library on the books for renewal, as well as providing an amazing opportunity for growth in the Town of Erin at this time,” said Brianceau.
He then suggested having a business internet space available in the new library for those with “slow-speed internet or no-speed internet.”
Alls added the pond was created to service a mill downstream, but the library will be a new type of mill.
“Now we’re going to provide another mill but it will be a brain mill, a mill for people to gather and a sense of community for this area. I’m really excited to see this happen,” Alls said.
Mill pond project
The pond, dam and bridge are currently undergoing an environmental assessment in order to explore options for the future.
“I know that the town’s going to have to fix the bridge and the dam and I told the county that we are going to do that, we have to do it, we don’t have any choice in the matter in the long run,” said Alls.
“We’re still waiting for the environmental assessment to be finished. I expect to hear that by the end of this year and then we’ll decide how to proceed from there.”
The water level control is included in the pond property but the town owns the bridge and the road. Alls is hoping the town and county can work together to find a solution to the dam problem. Alls said he is hoping for the pond to stay intact.
“We have to let the EA finish before we come to that conclusion, but my sincere wish is that it will be and I know that the county won’t be happy if we let the pond go. We don’t want to look at swamp,” said Alls.
Bridge also wants to see the pond remain.
“I think the town’s working on that, I mean, the EA is supposed to be coming fairly soon and they have some option of what they have to do with the dam,” said Bridge.
“I think everybody’s thought process is to keep the water and of course, because we’re owners now we have some rights to that.”
The cost of the property was under the $1 million allocated to the property search, said Bridge. Construction of the library is budgeted at $4 million by the county. It is expected the library development will be completed in 2017.
