A new chapter is underway as the first phase of a $4 million renovation transforms the Fonthill Branch into a vibrant, accessible, and responsive space that will serve the community for decades to come.
A Phased Renovation
The Fonthill Renovation will be completed in two phases, with a total estimated budget of $4,000,000. Phase One is underway. The Next Chapter fundraising campaign is ongoing to raise the remaining $2,500,000 that will complete the project.
Phase One: September 2026 – Spring 2027
Phase One ($1,500,000, fully funded by the Town of Pelham) includes:
- A new entrance with automatic sliding doors
- Four new, single-use washrooms and the addition of a universal washroom
- An expanded and refurbished program room
- A new wall that can be opened to maximize space following the Phase Two renovation
Award-winning architectural firm ward99 architects is providing design services for the full project. ward99 architects has designed libraries across Ontario. In 2022, the agency’s work was recognized with a New Library Build Award through the Ontario Library Association (OLA) for the Eastside Branch in Waterloo.
Phase Two:
Phase Two, estimated at $2,500,000, will:
- Redesign the main level, opening up an additional 3,000 square feet of space for public use with dedicated spaces for programming, study, and collaboration
- Install a passenger elevator to open access to the under-used basement
- Provide updated work areas to enhance service delivery and support staff workflow
A Brief History
In 1853, the first library opened in Fonthill. With a collection of only 165 books, it aimed to provide “mental, moral, and social improvement.” That first year, a director remarked, “one can scarcely calculate the benefit that will arise to the community.”
In the 1890s, a library was built on Canboro Road. By 1965, the Fonthill Library had moved to the ground floor of the municipal office. But as the community grew, so too did the need for a bigger library. The Town Council voted to build a new library.
Once again, the community stepped up in support of its much-loved library. In 1985, the Friends of the Fonthill Library hosted a “backyard art sale” to raise funds for the new build. In two short years, the annual art sale grew in popularity—as did support for the new library. By 1987, the tireless efforts of the Friends of the Fonthill Library and the Pelham Art Club (now known as the Pelham Art Association) formally established the Pelham Art Festival (PAF). Extra funds from the PAF funded the iconic cupola that rises from the centre of the library’s roof.
“The library is a place of connection, because anybody can go there … whether you have lived in Pelham your whole life or are new to town.”
—Heidi TeBrake, former chair, Pelham Art Festival
