Mississauga, Ontario, August 6, 2011 – Government officials and library patrons joined the City of Mississauga today for a special ceremony to mark the official reopening of the Burnhamthorpe Library.
At 40,000 square feet, the library is one of the city’s largest, providing over 60,000 residents with a wide variety of borrowing materials and community programs. In addition to housing the popular Maja Prentice theatre, the library is now home to the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre, which offers free employment, family and newcomer services to local residents.
The broad list of facility improvements also includes numerous accessibility upgrades, more programming space, a built-in puppet stage, a redesigned entranceway and lobby, new windows and carpets, a new roof, upgraded HVAC and fire alarm systems, and new exterior lighting and pathways.
“The Burnhamthorpe Library plays an important role in the Mississauga community,” said Stella Ambler, Member of Parliament for Mississauga South, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. “Many families enjoy visiting the branch and benefiting from its many services, and the completion of this infrastructure project means they can continue to do so well into the future. Our government is proud to support the redevelopment of this facility and its grounds.”
“The McGuinty government is proud to support our local libraries, which help provide our children and grandchildren with lifelong learning and development opportunities,” said the Honourable Charles Sousa, Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga South. “Mississauga’s libraries play a vital role in our neighbourhoods and I’m certain that this beautifully renovated library will serve as a vital community hub for many years to come.”
"The renovated and expanded Burnhamthorpe Library is architecturally striking," said Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga. "And, with the library, Maja Prentice Theatre and Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre under one roof, the facility conveniently provides a range of services and opportunities for joint programming and cost sharing."
The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed more than $5.5 million toward the redevelopment project. The City of Mississauga is contributing the balance of the total eligible project cost of nearly $16.7 million.
Federal funding for this project comes from the Government of Canada’s Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which is supporting over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country.
For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
Contacts:
Vanessa Schneider
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Office of MPP Sousa
905-274-8228
Office of Mayor McCallion
905-896-5555
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148
Or Toll-Free 1-877-250-7154
