On Thursday, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch met with the Central Station Education Initiative (CSEI) team at the historic Central Fire Station to hear more about the $ 128,500 Capital Grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that was used to complete restorations and upgrades to the 104 year old Fire Station, a designated heritage building under the Ontario Heritage Act.

“I want to commend everyone involved for their unwavering support in obtaining funding for this important community project. The Central Station restoration stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit of everyone involved, blending history with today and serving as a beacon of knowledge and community engagement for years to come,” said Jeff Burch, MPP for Niagara Centre.

This grant has allowed CSEI to complete restorations of Central Station’s historic interior features such as original plaster, double hung windows and patterned tin ceilings along with upgrades that will allow us to move forward with installation and opening of our main floor Firefighting History Exhibit and expand our ability to use our third floor meeting room and artefact storage area.

“This capital grant has made possible real progress on our project to restore and repurpose one of the most unique historic fire stations in North America to include a main floor Firefighting History Exhibit with building fixtures and firefighting artefacts from over 100 years of Welland and Niagara’s Fire Service. We expect to open for visitors, tours and educational programming by appointment in the new year and full time during the summer”, said Nora Reid, president of Central Station Education Initiative.

CENTRAL STATION EDUCATION INITIATIVE (CSEI) is a Registered Charity and incorporated not-for-profit whose mandate is to preserve and to educate about the material and cultural history of the fire and other emergency services in the Niagara Region. Your financial support for this project would be gratefully accepted. Please donate at www.centralfirehall.ca

“Whether it’s helping people learn new things, connect with their community, or simply have fun, organizations like Central Station Education Initiative deliver experiences that make a difference,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “That’s why grant support through the Ontario Trillium Foundation is so important. This funding will help ensure they remain at the heart of the community for decades to come.”

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested more than $110 million into 1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.