Funding for New Glasgow Destination Centre

A $2-million investment by the Province will help bring a new community hub to life in New Glasgow.

The town’s library, a branch of the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library, will be retrofitted to become the New Glasgow Destination Centre, creating a welcoming space for community activities and programs for the northern region.

“We’re creating an accessible and inclusive space for the New Glasgow community to bring people together to access services they need and create connections,” said Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “Community hubs like these play a vital role in building stronger, healthier communities, and we’re pleased to work with our partners to support the New Glasgow Destination Centre.”

The project will provide dedicated space for programs and services for seniors, newcomers, up-and-coming artists and non-profits. It will also update the facility’s heating and ventilation systems.

The federal government is investing $3.9 million in the project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, the Town of New Glasgow is providing $976,860 and the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library is contributing $20,000.

Quotes:

“These improvements to the New Glasgow Library will increase its accessibility to Pictou County’s underserved populations, seniors and individuals living with physical disabilities and mobility issues. As well, the revitalized building will help the community reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, while also providing cleaner indoor air for library users.”

– Sean Fraser, federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and MP for Central Nova, on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

“When people come together to learn, socialize and make connections, amazing things happen. We move our region and its residents forward. The newly developed community destination centre will foster that growth and development in the heart of our community in downtown New Glasgow. I can’t wait to see the amazing things that will come out of this space for generations to come.”

– Nancy Dicks, Mayor, Town of New Glasgow

“The New Glasgow Library is a second home to many citizens. To be able to update the library, make the spaces flexible for the entire community, including older adults, newcomers and families, is a tremendous opportunity.”

– Clyde Fraser, Ward 2 Councillor and Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Board representative, Town of New Glasgow

Quick Facts:

• there are 71,000 visits to the New Glasgow library each year
• the community hub is expected to draw 30 per cent more patrons
• the facility will include indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a commercial kitchen, a nursery area with indoor playground, private spaces for services like virtual healthcare and tutoring, community meeting space and a community café
• the retrofit will lower energy consumption by more than 80 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 272 tonnes annually
• the Province’s accessibility strategy, Access by Design 2030, outlines how the government achieves an accessible province by providing persons with disabilities with equitable access to programs, services, information and infrastructure

Additional Resources:

New Glasgow Library: http://www.parl.ns.ca/locations/newglasgow.php

Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library’s Virtual Care @ Your Library program: https://www.parl.ns.ca/services/virtualcare.php

Nova Scotia Provincial Library: https://library.novascotia.ca/

Access by Design 2030: https://novascotia.ca/accessibility/access-by-design/