$239,800 in OTF Grants Creates Unique Spaces for Programming and Events at Abbey Gardens

Haliburton, ON – On Sunday, MPP Laurie Scott met with the team at Abbey Gardens Community Trust to hear more about the impact of two Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Capital and Resilient Communities Fund grants that it received in 2022, totaling $239,800. The group has put both grants to work to help it continue building for the future and recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.

“It is wonderful to visit Abbey Gardens and see the renovations that were made possible through the Ontario Trillium Foundation grants,” said Laurie Scott, MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “Great care and detail have made the facility accessible for all and will ensure that everyone can participate and be able to share in the wonderful experience Abbey Gardens has to offer.”

Thanks to the $91,900 Resilient Communities Fund grant it received in the spring of 2022, it was able to develop a new home for the Abbey Gardens summer camps, At Last Forest School and Eco Explorers Homeschool programs, while its $147,900 Capital grant, awarded late last year, was used to develop a new community event space.

This funding was instrumental in supporting Abbey Gardens in its efforts to rebuild and recover after three years of reduced revenue and programming due to COVID-19 related restrictions. The funds went toward purchasing tents, site work, trailer washrooms, storage facilities, and other areas of developing both of these spaces.

“The investment by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to establish permanent spaces for our programming and events is great news for our community,” said Ashley McAllister, Director of Operations at Abbey Gardens. “We’ve been able to grow our summer programming calendar exponentially with the addition of the new space, and our event tent has provided space for our community to gather and celebrate the arts.  We’ve hosted Juno award nominees and winners such as Inuk singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark, Great Lake Swimmers, John McDermott, and many others. We also hosted internationally renowned Canadian comedian Ron James, provided a venue for Haliburton Folk Society and Highland Opera Studio events, and have use the tent for weddings, anniversaries, and celebrations of life.”

Abbey Gardens has debuted a full event and programming calendar for the 2023 summer season, including concerts, summer camps, Forest School, a Pony Birthday Party, festivals, comedy shows, and more. If you wish to learn more about what community events are taking place at Abbey Gardens or inquire about using the space for your own event, please visit the website at: abbeygardens.ca. The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), 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 $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

Media Contact

Heather Hume
Office of MPP Laurie Scott
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
Phone: 416-819-6147
Email: heather.hume@pc.ola.org

Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:

Ashley McAllister, Director of Operations
Abbey Gardens Community Trust 705-754-4769 ext. 221 / ashley@abbeygardens.ca