OTF grants $20,000 to Guelph Youth Singers

GUELPH – On Jan. 24, local MPP Mike Schreiner attended a performance of the Guelph Youth Singers (GYS) at the Elliott Community Retirement Home.  

At the event, GYS and Schreiner celebrated a $20,000 capital grant from the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to fund the purchase of a new sound-system to allow for outdoor singing, and to enhance live and recorded performances.

“As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Guelph, I want to congratulate the Guelph Youth Singers on receiving the Ontario Trillium Capital Grant,” said Schreiner. 

“This grant will allow the Guelph Youth Singers to purchase a sound system for both outdoor and indoor live performances, helping them create a more inclusive and supportive musical environment in our community.”

The new equipment was first showcased on Dec. 10 at Harcourt Church during the GYS concert, Song for a Winter’s Night.

“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation capital grant cannot be overstated,” said Karie Rippin Bilger, Chair of the GYS Board of Directors. 

“This equipment was originally intended to allow for safe and distanced singing during the scariest times of the COVID pandemic, but some tweaks to the original equipment list now allow for much broader applications. Our choristers and audience members are thrilled about this new AV equipment, and we look forward to the exciting possibilities for its use in the coming years.”

For more information about joining one of the choirs or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit guelphyouthsingers.com.