For various improvements for information technology, as well as its grounds, the Wallaceburg & District Museum received a $50,000 boost from the Ontario Trillium Foundation on Saturday.
The funds came from the operating stream grant of the provincial government’s community building fund, which is administered by the foundation.
A special presentation took place Saturday during the Wallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outing festivities.
With the grant, the museum purchased upgraded computer hardware and software, and made several improvements to the adjoining parquette.
The projects will give people in the community improved access to programs and events at the museum, officials said.
Henry Van Haren, president of the Wallaceburg & District Historical Society, said the museum will continue to be a prominent fixture in the southside of the community.
“This grant has helped to supplement the community’s generous donations during the rough times that we have all felt over the past few years,” he said.
The improvements to the parkette include added electrical outlets, new picnic tables and groundskeeping equipment.
Van Haren said this will help make the area better suited for public and private functions.
A portion of the grant will also go to paying some of the salaries of museum staff, he added, noting they help catalog and digitize the numerous collections.
Fannie Vavoulis, an Ontario Trillium Foundation volunteer, credited the museum’s efforts in preserving the Wallaceburg community’s rich history.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton was not in attendance, but made a video statement to the gathering, calling the museum an asset.
“The Wallaceburg & District Museum is a treasure that deserves to be much better known,” he stated in a release.
“I am happy to applaud and congratulate any steps to help that. I also wish to recognize and thank all those who worked in the grant application process.”
Last year, the foundation invested nearly $209 million into 2,042 community projects and partnerships across the province.