Officials at Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility are marking the completion of an improvement project that was made possible with a provincial grant.
The camp near Iona received $80,000 from the Resilient Communities Fund from the Ontario Trillium Foundation last year. The grant was meant to help the camp rebuild and recover from shutdowns while COVID-19 protections were in place.
A news release said the result created “more flexible and safer spaces for all users.” The work, which included a “strategic roadmap to reopen,” was finished April 17.
“This Ontario Trillium Foundation grant has been vital in creating a safer environment for all of our guests and participants,” Joe Richards, executive director of Pearce Williams, said in the release.
“This grant has enabled a variety of upgrades from better air exchange and filtration to improved internet services. The planning and training funded that was also allowed for myself, our board and the camp to move forward and be better prepared to fully recover from the two-year shutdown of our facility due to COVID-19.”
The funds were used to install HVAC upgrades to three buildings, change out a 1930s bunkbed system with new bunks and fundraising training.
The training will “ensure that the children and youth in the Elgin and St. Thomas communities have access to amazing programs for skill development and leadership,” the release said.
Camp officials said the project that resulted from the funds means the facilities will remain safe for anyone who visits for years to come.
More information about Pearce Williams is available at www.campisbetter.com.