Three attractions within Hamilton’s recreation and culture sector are in line for expansions and renovations.
The federal and provincial governments are investing a combined $5.6 million in the Hamilton Children’s Museum, the Ancaster Fairgrounds and the Dundas Valley School of Art.
The owners of those facilities will contribute $1.8 million to their respective projects.
Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas Liberal MP and federal Minister of Labour Filomena Tassi said the funding announcement is about looking beyond the pandemic and making communities “more liveable, more resilient and more sustainable places to live and raise our families.”
Flamborough-Glanbrook Conservative MPP Donna Skelly, announcing the province’s share of the funding on Thursday morning, said “supporting cultural and recreational infrastructure projects like these, really helps to make our communities stronger and more inclusive.”
A new 75,000-square-foot, all-seasons building at the fairgrounds will allow the Ancaster Agricultural Society to host larger agricultural events, as well as support music events year-round.
Society president Jillian Ferguson notes that while they are widely recognized for the Ancaster Fair, their facility hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually.
Ferguson said the expansion will support their goal of being “the premier equestrian, livestock trade show event facility in southern Ontario.”
The expansion and renovation plan for the city-owned Hamilton Children’s Museum includes a 2,600-square-foot addition to the Gage Park attraction.
The Dundas School of Art is in line for a range of upgrades, including lighting and plumbing improvements and a new heating and cooling (HVAC) system.
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