TEESWATER, ONTARIO – With representatives from the governments of Canada and Ontario on hand, the Municipality of South Bruce held an official ribbon-cutting today to celebrate recently completed renovations to the historic Carnegie Library in Teeswater.

The library, originally built in 1914, is now open to the entire community thanks to a number of important improvements, including a new accessible entranceway, washroom, and elevator. In addition to electrical and heating upgrades, it also boasts approximately 1,000 extra square feet of usable public space.

“The improved Teeswater Library will offer additional resources and services, encourage learning, and foster a sense of community here in South Bruce,” said MP Lobb, on behalf of the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Our government is proud to be working with municipalities to support environmentally friendly infrastructure that Canadians use and depend on every day.”

“Through our five-year Open Ontario Plan, our government is investing in infrastructure that opens doors for our rural communities,” said the Honourable Carol Mitchell, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Member of Provincial Parliament for Huron—Bruce. “We are proud to partner with our federal and municipal counterparts here in South Bruce to ensure that everyone can access this historic library for years to come.”

“The Municipality of South Bruce is pleased to partner with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada in supporting the renovation of the Teeswater Library to provide accessibility and upgrades to a beautiful and historic building,” said Bill Goetz, Mayor of the Municipality of South Bruce. “Congratulations to the Library Building Committee and volunteers who assisted with the fundraising initiatives and making the Teeswater Library accessible for everyone to enjoy.”

The governments of Canada and Ontario each committed up to $115,000 toward this project through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The Municipality of South Bruce contributed the balance of the total eligible project cost of $345,000.

As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding to close to 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country. In Ontario alone, Infrastructure Canada has committed close to $1.5 billion toward over 1,900 projects across the province.

The contribution from the Province of Ontario comes from its 2009 provincial budget that is supporting more than 300,000 jobs and strengthening Ontario's economy.

Since 2007, the governments of Canada and Ontario have committed more than $13 billion in funding to over 6,400 infrastructure projects across the province.