Ontario Trillium Foundation grant aids accessibility at Livingston Centre

Livingston Centre staff showed off upgrades to the facility’s washrooms made possible through a grant from the Ontairo Trillium Foundation. Left to right are: Mayor Deb Gilvesy, Trillium grant review committee member Lori Van Opstal, Oxford MPP Ernie Hardemand, Livingston Centre co-executive director Cheryl Conick, and co-executive director Kathryn Leatherland. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grant paid the way to improve accessibility of the public washrooms at the Livingston Centre.

In a ceremony on Friday, local MPP Ernie Hardeman, Mayor Deb Gilvesy, OTF officials and Livingston Centre staff gathered to pay homage to the grant and what it is accomplishing. The money was used to install push-button door operators, touchless taps and soap dispensers and to widen the doors to make the washrooms full accessible.

Saying the renovations wouldn’t be possible without the Trillium funds, Kathryn Leatherland, co-executive director of the Livingston Centre, said at the time the grant application was filed, there was one accessible washroom in the building, which was “not enough for the 7,200 people who use this facility.”

She had two examples where she personally saw the need for the upgrades. At one function with seniors, she saw a long line-up of people with walkers waiting to use the washroom during a break in the programming.

“That’s hardly accessible with people waiting that long,” she said, adding there was also an instance of someone who was able to push the door to get in the standard washroom with a walker, but couldn’t pull the door open to get out.

The Livingston Centre sees 7,200 clients served annually. The multi-functional community hub is home to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Options for Justice, Elgin Oxford Legal Clinic, Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Oxford MP Arpan Khanna’s pop-up clinics, Oxford County Community Health Centre, Oxford County Human Services, Stonebridge Community Services, Service Canada, the Tillsonburg Children’s Centre, ChildinÜ Oxford, DASO, Community Living Tillsonburg and the Tillsonburg and District Multi-Service Centre.

“These grant funds will support the Livingston Centre to ensure the inclusion of everyone in our community and enhance our mission to be a vibrant community hub offering a wide range of social and health care services in one central location,” Leatherland said.

"I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Tillsonburg Community Services Initiatives on receiving this $25,500 Trillium grant,” Hardeman said. “This investment in upgrading the accessibility at the Livingston Centre is a meaningful step toward ensuring that everyone in our community can access vital services in a safe and dignified way regardless of ability.”

Gilvesy talked of the importance of the Livingston Centre, how it aligned with the town’s vision and that the upgrades will make the facility more accessible.

“The reach and importance of this facility cannot be overstated,” she said.

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 nearly $105M into 732 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.