Library Gala

Celebration as Library meets fundraising goal

The sounds of swing music, jazz tunes and romantic ballads from the Forties could once again be heard emanating from the Sergeants Mess Hall at Base31 as the County Library celebrated reaching its fundraising goal for the library expansion project. It has been a sixyear journey to arrive at this point, and the library expansion space is now in use, although not yet at its full potential. The Children’s Library on the lower level is a bright, colourful and inviting space. Over the past couple of weeks, the book stacks in the original building have been moved into the new space. There is far more room now, and plenty of natural light fills the space. There is a striking “living wall” of green plants, study carrels, meeting rooms and cozy reading areas. The original space will now be renovated to return to its original Carnegie library character, and a grand opening of the completed facility is expected to happen later this summer.

The original fundraising goal was $2.8 million, and that was reached in December 2022. However, cost overruns related to an increase in the price of materials meant the slightly more had to be raised, and Saturday’s gala celebration added more than $52,000 in much-needed funds. The theme of the celebration was that of a 1940s cocktail bar, and all of the attendees were encouraged to dress for the era. The mood was set with music from the Hanna Burge Trio and from Brian Barlow and members of his band with vocalist AJ Stewart. A sleek, black 1940s Cadillac parked in front of the Sergeants Mess Hall added to the atmosphere. Inside, there were champagne flutes and canapés from a number of local chefs and restaurants. Four professional swing dancers amped up the energy with a demonstration dance and then tried to get as many people up on the dance floor as possible.

(L-R): Aaron Miller, Dominique Jones, Sarah Leblanc, Colin Davies, James Burrows and Ola Szymanska pose beside a vintage Cadillac outside the Sergeants Mess Hall at Base31.

Library CEO Barbara Sweet thanked the fundraising committee for all the work they have put into the project, and said it was an honour for the gala to be the first event hosted in the newly renovated Mess Hall. “This is a celebration of the success of the library fundraising team. We have a library building that everyone raves about. It is such a tribute to this community and to the people who worked so hard over the past six years to make it happen. Our chair of the committee, Alexandra Bake, has been a tireless worker. Her strength and commitment never wavered. Devon Jones enand Sandy Murray of the Library Board have worked with the architect and contractor to complete the almost $3 million project. I have to thank the community that supported our effort. This building will give joy to people for years to come, and it’s a testament to what good people can achieve for the good of others,” she said.

Alexandra Bake said that the evening was a bit of a “pinch-me moment”, and that it was exciting to see the fruits of all the collaboration and community support. “It was a long and arduous six-year fundraising journey, but the results are so worth it. Libraries tug at our heartstrings. We share stories about how much they mean to us because they weave their way through the fabric of our community, and the library in Prince Edward County has certainly done an exceptional job at maintaining its relevance for all members of our community,” she said.

She thanked Base31 for offering the Sergeants Mess Hall as a site for the gala celebration, and she also thanked County FM for all of its support as a community partner. Base31 CEO Tim Jones said that work on the Sergeants Mess Hall had only been completed the day before the gala, and that the collaboration with the library was a fitting christening for the space. He then made an announcement the Base31 would be providing some additional support to the library. “Although you’ve reached your goal, with capital projects it’s never enough, so I think there’s a special opportunity for us here tonight to help the library. In addition to hosting this event here tonight, PEC Community Partners and Base31 are going to provide $25,000 in matching support,” he said.

Lenni Stewart, traffic manager for County FM, said that the words “community and communication” describe both the library and the radio station, and both entities serve their community with unfailing commitment. “Both the library and County FM recognize the immense contributions that our community members have made over the years to support us. Their faith and involvement have led to expansion, allowing both to continue to providing valuable services,” she said. “We will continue to promote and support our public library system, and our reward has been— and always will be—the shared sense of community and the reciprocal support that our wonderful local radio station receives in return.” For more information about the library, and to make a donation for the matching opportunity offered by Base31, please visit peclibrary.org.