Richmond Agricultural Society Receives $54,500 Provincial Grant
An Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant for $54,500 will support renovations at the Richmond Agricultural Society building on the Richmond Fairgrounds to create a year-round meeting room that can be used by the entire community.
On Friday, Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari met with the team at the Richmond Agricultural Society for a formal announcement of the grant from the OTF Resilient Communities Fund. The grant is being used to make improvements to the fair office and to create a year-round meeting room for the Richmond Agricultural Society, including the installation of heating and cooling systems. The project is on track to be completed by the 2022 Richmond Fair and will also be rented out to select community groups throughout the year.
“As Richmond and the surrounding communities in Carleton and throughout Ottawa and Eastern Ontario get ready for the 177th Richmond fair, the grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund will provide a bridge that will enhance the connection between our historic past and the amenities of the future,” MPP Ghamari said. “The upgrades to the buildings that serve the fair and the Richmond Agricultural Society, and to the technologies used by the fair’s visitors and staff, will play an important role for the future of the fair and the community.”
In addition to the installation of heating and cooling systems, the lighting in the building is set to be upgraded from incandescent bulbs to pot lights, which provide longer lasting and more efficient lighting the building. The meeting room will be accessible to select community groups to rent for meetings or gatherings. And, thanks to the $54,500 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this meeting room can be used comfortably during all seasons due to the upgrades.
“The Richmond Agricultural Society is a proud recipient of the Trillium Grant,” said Bruce Bain, President of the Richmond Agricultural society. “The funds received will be used to create a clean and comfortable meeting room that the Board of Directors can use year round. As well, thanks to the Trillium Grant, the building will also receive some much-needed upgrades to the office as well as the front customer area.”
The Richmond Agricultural Society has a large impact in the Richmond community and surrounding area. From organizing fundraisers and celebrations, to running the annual Richmond Fair, the RAS takes pride in its community involvement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Richmond Fair was unable to host a fair in 2020, and could only host a downscaled fair in 2021.
According to Bain, this lack of revenue was challenging for the RAS because whether or not events were hosted, bills still had to be paid. Grants like the one received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation go a long way in supporting this volunteer-based society. He added that the fair is the backbone of Richmond, and because of that, any upgrade or improvement that benefits the RAS also benefits the community as a whole.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, the OTF invested nearly $209 million into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
