LISTOWEL – On Oct. 10, Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae met with the Kinsmen Club of Listowel to hear about the impact of the $130,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant it received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2022.
The OTF grant was used to modernize and beautify the interior to the century-old train station – modernly known as the Kin Station – used by the club. The project was completed in September and will provide the community an improved experience and extend the life of the building.
“Local service clubs, such as the Kinsmen Club of Listowel, are the bedrock of our rural communities,” said Rae. “The Kin Station has provided a reliable space for many local events and meetings throughout the years. This is a great investment that recognizes the location’s importance to our community. I am glad to see our provincial government support our local service clubs.”
Modernizing and beautification projects within the Kin Station funded by this grant included new architectural millwork in the hall, new doors and windows, paving the parking lot, a new fire system, new kitchen cooler, and many other projects. The Kin Station, which was originally used by the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway (starting in 1871) is now used by a number of community groups for meetings, celebrations and fundraisers.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Ben Zavitz, president of the Kinsmen Club of Listowel. “The Kin Station is the cornerstone of helping the Kinsmen Club of Listowel achieve our mandate of ‘Serving the Community’s Greatest Need.’ We also want to congratulate the Ontario Trillium Foundation on 40 years of granting and building healthy and vibrant communities across the province.”
History
The Kinsmen Club of Listowel was chartered in June 1948. For 75 years, its volunteers have been working to better the community.
Foundational community projects throughout the 75 years can be seen in the Kinsmen Pool, Kinsmen Ball Diamonds, and other major benefactor status with the Listowel Library, Listowel Memorial Hospital, and Steve Kerr Memorial Complex. If you wish to enquire about using the Kin Station for your meeting or hosting an event, please visit the website at: www.listowelkinsmen.org.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities.
Last year, OTF invested over $110 million into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
