HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2017-02-08, Page 15Wednesday. February 8, 2017 • Huron Expositor 15
Photos by Justine Alkema/Postrnedia Network
The revamped Benmiller Community Hall.
The belfry being lowered onto the building.
Benmiller Comm. Centre's bell the final touch after massive renovations
Justine Alkema
Postmedia Network
The revamped Benmiller
Community Centre is now
$500,000 better than it used
to be. After major renova-
tions all year, the building
was "topped off" on January
31 with its cherry on top - a
new belfry.
Over the past year, due to
the efforts of the Benmiller
Community Hall Commit-
tee, the building now has a
10 foot extension built on the
front of it, a lift to all three
floors and two accessible
washrooms. There is addi-
tional parking, a ramp, and a
covered patio; upper and
lower spaces are now availa-
ble for rental. On top of that,
everything was upgraded,
made accessible and given a
general facelift.
The group was particularly
proud of the new belfry
which adds a very aestheti-
cally pleasing touch to the
new building. While there is
no actual bell in it, the group
did preserve the original
bell, and it is hanging inside
the entrance of the building.
The hall was built in 1880,
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and was used as a school-
house until the 1960s when
it was sold to the Order of
Foresters.
About six years ago, the
Foresters gave the build-
ing to the Township of
A$hfieId-Colborne-
Wawanosh to be used as a
community hall. However
committee chair Gina
McDonnell said the build-
ing was run down; it was
not up to code and wasn't
accessible.
Then the Benmiller Com-
munity Hall Committee,
run by locals, took it on.
The committee has nearly
raised their $500,000 goal
for the project, mostly from
federal and provincial
grants.
McDonnell said demand
for rentals in the improved
space is already evident.
"I've been taking tours
through like crazy," she
said. Some groups inter-
ested want to use the
space for yoga classes,
prenatal classes, a ball-
room dance group, busi-
ness meetings, small wed-
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GINNER 8, DANCE
Saturday, February 11, 2017
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Social 6 pm Dinner 6:30 pm
For Tickets: $25 each
519-348-0940 519-345-0143
519-345-2209 519-345-2248
Brodhagen Community Centre
www.brodhagencommunitycentre.com
•
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• • • • • •
dings and more.
The space is very reasona-
bly priced. It is meant to pay
for itself and is inexpensive
to run due to factors like bet-
ter insulation.
McDonnell said they
wanted to make it inexpen-
sive so it is "accessible to the
community':
To rent the upstairs space
is only $l00 and the smaller
downstairs space is $50; the
upstairs room fits around
100 people maximum for an
unlicensed event, while the
lower level holds close to 50
for an unlicensed event.
Licensed, the upstairs
holds around 75 people
while the downstairs holds
around 35.
The grand opening for
the space will be on April
28 at 2 p.m. Several digni-
taries will be present,
including one teacher who
taught at the community
hall when it was still a
school. The Benmiller Inn
will cater the event at no
charge. Anyone from the
public is welcome to
attend.
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