Click on the headings below to read some of our impact stories:
Westben received a $5,000 grant to create a native plant garden in celebration of their 25th anniversary production of The Selfish Giant's Garden.
Brian Finley, Artistic and Managing Director, had this to say about the project:
"With the help of the CFCSN, we planted a Garden. That’s the simple story. But there was so much more that was accomplished through this wonderfully fulfilling project which we mounted in celebration of our 25th anniversary of music in nature here at Westben. The creation The Giant’s Garden brought together several community experts, horticultural enthusiasts, Indigenous friends, volunteers and singing children. Together, a large plot on the Westben grounds was cleared, topsoil and mulch were added, and a host of colourful native species was planted. We then welcomed visitors and guests from our community and beyond all summer long to come revel in its beauty. Before each of 26 concerts presented at the summer music festival, there was a special “Nature Minute” which described various plants in the Garden. But the Garden was visited by more than our 6,000+ audience members! We also welcomed a variety of community visitors throughout the summer and into the fall. It has become a real thing of beauty which is still being enjoyed by many!
There were two very special moments associated with this project, both involving the 30 children from the community who make up the Westben Youth Chorus. Involved in planting the Garden, these children were also participants in our original production of the musical The Selfish Giant’s Garden, a production that grew alongside the Giant’s Garden. The first special moment was the illuminating conversation between the children and special guest Sarah Lewis, Indigenous activist and spoken word artist from Curve Lake First Nation. Sarah spent an afternoon with the children describing indigenous perspectives of “the Garden”, and the importance of nature in her culture. The children were fascinated. Secondly, having been given seeds of various native species plants in January by master gardener Kat Kinch, the children had carefully grown their own contributions to the Garden in their homes. These they brought and planted in the Garden during one of the rehearsal breaks. It was breathtaking to witness the sunny joy and satisfaction on the faces of these children as they proudly planted their flowers! And then deeply moving to witness their inner transformation as they returned to the stage to continue rehearsing the musical where they sang about the preciousness and beauty of nature. It was an unforgettable experience to witness – and (we hope) an experience these young people will remember for the rest of their lives. Thank you deeply for enabling this to happen!!
Lorraine Morford, a parent of one of the choir members said "In the spring, my 3 children were involved in Westben’s production of The Selfish Giant’s Garden. Westben has always been a safeplace for my children, where they feel accepted and heard. They look forward to every season, but this year was different. Taking part in a fully-staged musical was a dream come true for my little theatre lovers, and they looked forward to every rehearsal. The positive impacts of this production will have a ripple effect on my kids (and I suspect all of the children involved) for years to come.
In January, we were given seeds to grow for a garden that would accompany the play. We are a gardening family and the kids enjoyed watching their seeds grow and even planted extra to contribute. In the spring, when the ground was ready, the children were able to plant their seeds along with their friends while gaining the knowledge of Indigenous activist, Sarah Lewis. Sarah described the importance of the garden and nature to her culture and gave the children perspectives they maybe hadn’t thought ofbefore. My children loved this day and felt connected to the land along with Westben, a place that they already hold so dear. The production became much richer after having this connection to the land around them. This experience gave my children joy, confidence and memories that will last a lifetime."
Photo credit: Anna Cable, Westben's Social Media Coordinator
The Revitalization of Kennedy Park project illustrates how partnering and collaboration can embrace and enhance an entire community. The Community Foundation not only partnered with the Campbellford/ Seymour community, but we also reached out to the communities of Hastings and Warkworth for the Playground Projects, truly making this a Trent Hills Collaboration! Read more>>
The Aron Theatre Co-op, a not-for-profit co-operative, needed to sell $120,000 in Aron Co-op bonds in order to purchase the Aron Theatre, a well-known historic landmark in downtown Campbellford. On February 9, 2011, the Community Foundation Board of Directors made the decision to purchase $50,000 in bonds, bringing the total sold to $95,000. This in turn inspired the purchase of more bonds by community members. Within only two weeks of the public announcement of the Community Foundation investment, an additional $6,500 in bonds had been purchased by local families.
The Aron Theatre also needed to purchase and install a digital projector, as first release Hollywood movies were no longer going to be available in the old acetate film format. Also, with a new digital projector, the Theatre could show satellite-streamed sports events, symphonies, live theatre and other events to create new and important revenue streams. The Community Foundation provided a grant for 50% of the funding almost $37,000 towards the digital projector. The Ontario Trillium Foundation was approached and the Aron Theatre Co-operative Inc. received a grant for the other 50% to make the $74,000 digital projector purchase.
Since then, the Community Foundation has provided grants for other Aron Theatre projects - the restoration of the marquee with LED lights, sound insulation, upgrades to the washrooms, as well as a youth marketing position and a Movies for Schools curriculum.
By investing in the Aron Theatre Co-op, we know that we will be able to retain this important community asset and keep alive the long-term vision of making the Aron Theatre a sustainable arts and cultural hub.
In 2008, the Friends of Crowe Bridge Park, in partnership with Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, received a grant of $15,0000 to complete a consultant report to develop a 5-year management, rehabilitation, and long-term sustainability plan for the Crowe Bridge Conservation Area.
In 2010, they once again partnered with the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority on a $5,000 grant for a trail study. The aim of the study was to guide the improvement of the CBCA, in particular it’s trails, environmental integrity and recreational quality, and was completed by Trent University Trail Studies Unit.
That year the Municipality of Trent Hills signed a 10-year lease with the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority to operate Crowe Bridge Park. The Municipality provided $5,000 in grant funding from the Municipal Fund for signage, picnic tables and swimming area enhancement.
The Campbellford and District Curling and Racquet Club sent a thank you note to the Campbellford-Seymour Community Foundation for their generous grant of $4,000.00 toward the purchase of a $15,000 new ice scrapper in 2021. What they were even more grateful for was our flexibility in awarding the grant.
The club, much like other small businesses, continued to feel the effects of COVID-19, and the ability to raise the additional $11,000 for the ice scraper was going to pose a serious challenge, but they were certainly up for the challenge ----- UNTIL – their Icemaker, Barry Brown, and President Gord Reid, decided to pull up the walkway at the end of the rink to do some “minor” repairs to the refrigeration system. For those who have attempted to do some home renovations, you can guess what followed. It was a living nightmare that just kept growing!
The brine, a solution which freezes the ice surface, had to be drained from the lines, and large drums had to be purchased to house it while the system was being worked on. Once the lines were emptied and examined it was discovered that almost all of the approximately 170 lines which run under the ice pad had blockages in them and thus these lines had to be taken apart, physically cleared of debris and then flushed. The header pipes that run the width of the ice surface and feed the brine back and forth through the lines also needed to be flushed and were found to be in poor condition and leaking. A professional welder was needed to mend the leaks and replace the 6 valves which had seized up. New “jumper pipes” which carry the brine from the header pipes to the individual pipes that run under the ice which are secured with 8 clamps for each pair, meant hundreds of clamps which were purchased and installed.
During this work period, it was also discovered that there was a leak in the valve in the compressor room on the main brine line which was taken off and replaced and a minor leak in the brine pump itself. This pump needed be removed and professionally repaired with new seals and examined to ensure that it was functioning properly.
As you can well imagine this process was not only terribly time consuming but also very expensive. Volunteers did everything that they could over the period of several weeks, during which the club was also hosting the HKPR Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic. Construction needed to be halted, covered, and then resumed when time allowed.
Although several professionals were required to execute this plan, much of this work was completed by a small team of volunteers, which saved the club thousands of dollars. They knew that there was no possible way that we were going to be able to cover this major expense. This was when they approached the Community Foundation to see if they would consider pivoting the $4,000.00 Ice Scrapper grant to help cover this very costly emergency repair.
The community foundation Board of Directors made the decision was to allow the grant funding to be reallocated to the repair to ensure this important community facility could continue to function.
"This is only one example of the kindness and generosity of the COMMUNITY Foundation – a truly Community focussed organization. A most sincere THANK YOU from the Campbellford and District Curling and Racquet Club" - Carol Currelly-Burnham, Secretary, CDCRC.
