The Township of The Archipelago has a received an $85,000 grant which will be put towards designing and installing a heat recovery ventilator system (HRV) for the Pointe au Baril Community Centre.
Today Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norman Miller and Sandra Holdsworth, a volunteer with the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) took part in a virtual call with representatives from the Township to congratulate them on receiving the Resilient Communities Fund grant.
The Resilient Communities Fund was developed to help organizations rebound and recover from the impacts of COVID-19, ensuring local community needs are met across Ontario.
“We have all been reminded recently of the importance community plays in the quality of our lives,” says Miller. “While many of us eagerly await a time when we can gather together physically to move on from the difficulties of this year; it is important that we support our communities in building infrastructure that will allow us to do this safely. I am happy to see the Ontario Trillium Foundation taking steps to support the Township of the Archipelago with an eye on the future while taking to heart the lessons from our recent experiences.”
Built over 25 years ago, the Community Centre currently has no means of exchanging stale, indoor air with fresh air from outside.
“The Township of The Archipelago is very pleased to accept this grant, which will be used to improve the quality of experience at, and the health of our Community Centre and our residents in Pointe au Baril,” says Reeve Bert Liverance. “We appreciate this financial assistance from the Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Resilient Communities Fund and the ongoing support of our MPP Norman Miller.”
The installation of an HRV system will allow the community to resume the many different activities that took place before COVID-19, like the use of the walk-in library, seniors’ events, pickleball, yoga classes, book classes, wedding functions and other community-organized gatherings.
Adequate air exchanges will dilute the potential concentration of COVID-19 in the atmosphere, which is a known potential risk method of transmission per the World Health Organization, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
The Township was one of 559 non-profits selected as grant recipients in the second round of funding.